


Saturn Return

by saaurus



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Professors, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, Astrology, Eventual Fluff, Fate, Fate & Destiny, Horoscopes, Lies, M/M, Romance, Slow Burn, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 06:00:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 48,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23846353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saaurus/pseuds/saaurus
Summary: Aiba has always led his life in the way of the cosmos, hoping someday he will meet his Destined One. But unfortunately, Fate has other plans for him.
Relationships: Aiba Masaki/Sakurai Sho, Matsumoto Jun/Ninomiya Kazunari
Comments: 1
Kudos: 20
Collections: Sakuraiba Exchange 2020





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rinji_chan1](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rinji_chan1/gifts).



> My submission for the Sakuraiba Exchange 2020! Thank you for this prompt rinji_chan1! As you can probably see, I really got into it. I have to be honest, I never found horoscopes or predictions that exciting before, but after doing my investigations about it for this fic, I am pretty sure I’m an expert. I had tons of fun creating this little universe and I can’t wait for you to read it! Hope you like it!

_ “The cosmos; a boundless connection of interpretations our everlasting and expanding universe continuously lays before us. The Universe, what we seek to understand, has chosen each and every one of us for a purpose unknown. Our subject of study into what is traceable by mankind as the darkest and most mysterious sight, unable to fit our comprehension, has left us only but a guide into the understanding of our own creation in the skin of its everlasting veil. The scripture of the stars, that expand as far as the human eye can see, serves as our guide to engage with the energies that surround us, and those which we are born with. Our existence is written from the moment of our birth in the glistening lights of the night sky. They trace a path of ventures and fortunes, as we progress in our own human endeavors, and all the way until we reach unknown levels of our own existence. _

_ There are but three things that constitute our human nature of which we are most certainly sure of: the search of meaning for our humanly and temporary lives, the pending moment of our passing into the other life and the encounter with our other halves, none of which we can predict. The only thing we can be sure of is the paths Fate has in store for us, for such it is how the universe moves. Those things mankind would rather choose to keep a mystery, until the right moment is determined by Fate, are kept by the intelligence of the cosmos, that understands human nature far more than what we could ever achieve. But perhaps that same nature enforces an impulse in us that finds something morbidly curious in discovering those mysteries as well. One of the big questions of human life is kept from our knowledge and trapped in the same cosmos we contemplate day by day. It is almost in a teasing sense, but I believe it is only in good intentions, that the mystery of our soulmates is stored there too.  _

_ Soulmates. Our companion in life. Our destined one. Animae dimidium. It is tragic to think we have been placed on this earth only in half; our path in life suddenly seems interrupted because of our own imperfect incompleteness. The journey suddenly becomes far more dreadful because human nature cannot stand the feeling of wandering alone into the path of the cosmos. Our energies force us to search for companionship, materialized in the cores of affection that keep us grounded in our trajectory, as it is the will of the universe. Our minds cannot come to peace without our overflowing energies being concentrated in something beyond us. Our souls cannot move on through the circulations of the moon and sun without engaging with another that shares its same energies. Inevitably, in our imperfection, we crave to love and to be loved. But perhaps what is the cruelest of all thoughts is how the cosmos has abandoned us on this earth to figure out the ways to our other half all by ourselves. Against time, against society, against culture, we each fight to find that moment of first connection with the souls that belong next to our own. _

_ Luckily, the universe is so perfect, it has thought through all answers without us even formulating the questions. The probabilities of our souls connecting with billions of others is so incalculable, the cosmos has balanced our energies from the very constitution of our bodies in the womb at the moment of our birth. Like a piece in the very center of a puzzle, there will always be more than one piece of soul that fits us, whether it is by our north source, south source, east source or west source. While others might not be the right fit for us, they are still the connecting pieces that constitute the cosmic puzzle of our social construct. The elements that come into play to determine our compatibility with one another are so vast and great, that the possibilities are as endless as our own cosmos. There will always be a chance to find that one piece out of many possibilities, though some may be more fitting than others. Perhaps, what matters to us the most is which piece will come first and whether we will be attentive enough to capture the signs of the connection. _

_ Fate plays a leading role in helping us discover our path in life and the completion of our own souls. Our duty as wanderers of the universe is to make ourselves disciples of Fate, obey its directions and follow its mandate patiently. We must not question the ways of Fate. Its timing or its delay do not concern us. The sooner we let ourselves be guided by the ways of the world, the sooner we will be led to that fated path our human nature so desires. It cannot be rushed, it cannot be interrupted, for Fate is one of the most powerful forces that constitute our universe. Fate is our law while we’re living, and opposing it will only tamper with the balance of those souls involved. It cannot be defied, it will always find its way. For Fate makes no mistakes.” _

Aiba set the book down on the table before a yawn overtook him. His arms stretched upwards with little decorum, for there was barely anyone around the large library halls on a Friday night. His neck leaned backward, his sight raised to the ceiling above his head. A large installation of the constellations spread through the dome-like structure of the public library. Lightbulbs attached to twisted manila rope were placed around the entire room, dividing the Astrology hall by sections, Capricorn sitting right over Aiba’s head. It was his favorite spot in the library, where he felt most connected with himself, and he liked to think none of that was by coincidence. 

“Excuse me, the library will be closing in a few minutes,” one of the librarian’s assistants said, walking over to his table. Aiba had seen this assistant before in his many visits, he was the first person who would greet Aiba across the front desk. It was safe to say they had become familiar by recognition. “Are you checking out any books? I could help set you up.”

“No, not this time,” Aiba refused with a small smile. “I just came for some light reading.” The pillars of books spread on his table said otherwise.

Aiba could at least accept his help to store the books away, even though Aiba always made such a mess and he was always nice to allow him to stay a few minutes over closing time. Aiba wasn’t completely oblivious about this assistant’s reasons. Aiba appreciated his patience with him, even though it made him feel most guilty to not be able to reciprocate any of his kind gestures. He simply learned to accept it as courtesy and move on without bringing too much attention upon himself, and yet the assistant still managed to steal a glance from Aiba through the crevasse of the bookshelves every now and then. 

As Aiba returned the book he’d indulged himself in that afternoon, he couldn’t help but stop and look through the shelves that extended across the astrological section. He had wandered through those same aisles so many times, he could no longer keep count of his visits, but he wasn’t nearly done with half of the books in their collection. Ever since he heard the library at Keio had a vast collection of astrological essays and thesis, he’d made sure to go there and judge it for himself. This library had somehow become almost like his own school, as he drowned himself with words until his mind could take in no more. He would always take out a book or two at occasions when they seemed interesting enough, but most of them spoke of the same things, just different wording and line structures. They spoke of soulmates and the paths of the cosmos and the ways of Fate, things Aiba had heard hundreds of times and in thousands of versions before. Most reached a common conclusion while others drifted away from what Aiba most wanted to hear: that there was still hope, even for someone like him. 

Aiba walked up to the front desk of the library, finally deciding to take a book with him after all. It was  _ Into the Fate of the Soul _ , by Kawagishi Emi. The introduction seemed intriguing enough, perhaps he could give it another try. 

The librarian’s assistant seemed pleased to see him again, although he reserved his words, holding back a nervous smile in front of Aiba. Aiba waited with expectant silence as the assistant registered the book he was taking out. He took his sweet time, but once he handed over Aiba’s book, he did it with such premeditation, he made sure his hand were placed on just the right side of the book Aiba would reach out to grab so that their fingers would brush, even if just slightly, for just a short span of a few seconds. But even that time was enough for the assistant to realize his efforts had been in vain. The expectation he had once built up in his mind to “accidentally” exchange touches with Aiba had all disappeared the moment their contact did nothing more than set an awkward reaction between them. Though he wouldn’t really call it a reaction. Of course, Aiba caught up to his intentions right away, unironically it was the oldest trick in the book, but he didn’t blame him. Aiba knew what it was like, that curiosity of never knowing if that one person could have a true Connection with you. The anticipation of finding someone who would meet one’s standards and wanting to know if it was really meant to be.

He must have been doing that, what Kawagichi and so many others called the _Connection_. Aiba recalled his books; “ _A moment when two souls bound with one another, often described as an exchange of magnetic energy”_. _“Just another bodily reaction, this one taking place in the collision of the energies of two bodies”._ _“When the souls would recognize one another as compatible through the sole contact of skin”._ Aiba had heard the instances of the _Connection_ were brief, but so impactful it was enough to change anyone’s life. 

Aiba always imagined seeing sparks flying at the first contact, considering how people described it sometimes as a painful electric shock. One forum entry he’d read before even went as far as to confess they were fully electrocuted and sent to a hospital. And yet, as scary as it may seem, everyone wished for their moment of  _ Connection _ to happen one way or another, either by accident or by artfully scheming their way into exchanging touches with whomever they deemed attractive. Aiba didn’t blame the librarian’s assistant, he too knew what it was like to be young and have nothing to lose. Since Aiba also wondered what that first moment of  _ Connection _ would feel like, he surely must have attempted that maneuver himself many times before, but he had learned from his books that such tricks would amount to nothing but disappointment.

The assistant avoided Aiba’s gaze, trying to not give his actions away, but he was clearly upset by the letdown. Aiba couldn’t help but feel completely responsible. 

“I’m sorry,” Aiba offered him an apologetic look and words that he thought would be more reassuring than none. 

Perhaps if Aiba weren’t a Dog-Capricorn-Earth type with a Gemini Ascendant, the young assistant wouldn’t have been so disappointed, but Fate had never particularly smiled upon Aiba. If he were to guess, he would say Fate had forgotten all about him. Aiba was a firm believer of the paths of the universe, he had studied most of what there was to know about the obedience of the paths and the reading of celestial signals. Each new theory was trapped in the pages of the books he kept at home, which had become so large in number he had decided to stop hoarding them, and instead came and went with whatever copy he would find at the public library. Most of the theories spoke of patience, or not rushing the ways of the universe to not hinder one’s fated future. He’d follow every law, read every rule, channeled every energy, and after more than 30 long years of his life, there was no sign that Fate had actually sent any divine signals out for him. It was almost as if he’d been forgotten entirely, or even skipped in the divine lists of paired souls. He didn’t even think he could have any potential souls still out there waiting for him. Most of the people he knew had already married the first person they made a  _ Connection _ with and had run off somewhere else. These were the friends he had left, people who weren’t even around to give Aiba another minute of their happily wedded life. And Aiba had been happy for them, filling himself with illusions that his own turn was soon to come, and he buried himself in anticipation, preparing himself for the moment his  _ connection  _ would finally manifest, only to be abandoned entirely by his fortune. 

Aiba realized how harsh life as a single man could be each year more, and he never imagined it only becoming more dreadful with time, but could not allow himself to complain. “ _ Impatience only drives away the positive energies of Fate,” _ was something he read in one of his books, and yet that author had been quite contradictory across his writing to begin with. He had to show himself indifferent to the world in order to be remembered by Fate and be engulfed in its purposes for him. He could not be thinking about how he had gotten nothing in return after being so faithful to the teachings of the cosmos, or how even in his 30s he felt so alone. He couldn’t complain, it was not right, not after Fate had been so kind to him and his family. He couldn’t be ungrateful. He knew he just needed to be patient just for a little longer. Eventually, everything would fall in its place.  _ “Fate makes no mistakes,”  _ is what Kawagishi said. And yet he couldn’t hold back a thought from escaping his mind: 

“Maybe fate never expected me.”


	2. Capricorn

Aiba didn’t have any time to slow down and think of the holidays or even his own birthday approaching. In recent years, he preferred not to think about Christmas eve without good reason. He knew his parents had probably prepared some family gathering at their home like every other year, regardless of him being vocal about his dislike for the birthday parties. He knew, deep down, they still did it out of their own hearts, hoping it would make Aiba feel less alone.    
  


Lately, Aiba had been able to take in the loneliness he felt on his birthday and go out, even if it was on his own. He would usually stop at some bar and pass by the less crowded street festivals to get a glimpse of the Christmas light shows. The freedom to go wherever he wanted to and eat whatever he wanted was his own way to accept that being alone didn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing.    
  


This year, he received an invitation via email to a matchmaking gathering held on Christmas Eve. It would be running early during the day, but they wanted to invite/gather single people that day to give them a boost of morale before the nighttime came around and all they had to see were couples walking down the street.    
  


On most occasions, Aiba would consider these invitations as spam mail, but on this particular instance, he was intrigued by the idea of doing something completely different that year. Perhaps he had also been convinced by the resonating voice of his Astrologist, Matsumoto Jun, and what he’d told him in their last session a few days before.   
  


“Don’t fixate yourself on routines. Try and do something different this year. You never know the opportunities you are missing out on.”   
  


After Matsumoto had left him with that small piece of horoscope for the rest of the month, Aiba had been on the lookout for anything that would introduce him to new opportunities. Perhaps the matchmaking parties weren’t the most optimal scenarios to meet a soulmate, but Aiba still liked to believe they were a fun experience to prepare him for future fateful encounters.    
  


He arrived at the hotel that would be holding the reception for the matchmaking meet-up and he was surprised to see a good quantity of new people he usually wouldn’t have expected.    
  


After signing in with a lady at the entrance of the big lounge room, he was handed over a big round sticker to put over his clothes with the symbol of his sign group, Capricorn. “Your group will be set up in lounge number 4. Thank you for your continued participation, and happy connections!” She greeted everyone cheerfully and Aiba had to admit, her warm smile made him feel less self-conscious of what he was doing there. 

Matchmaking parties were rowdy. After a few good hours of talking and moving from table to table and chair to chair, it was easy to get exhausted. Most of the staff encouraged the participants not to touch in order to build a steady and personal bond before any energy-based Connection interfered with the process of meeting others. Aiba appreciated this rule most of all. He had seen many matchmaking parties that were solely based on potential soulmates if a physical Connection was made between a couple. After several relays of compatible partners, it left people exhausted because of the continuous exchange of energies going around the room. Aiba had come to learn by that time that, no matter how small the Connections felt, it would eventually hurt if you got a lot of them. Aiba remembered feeling his hand become numb by the end of the day from all the Connections of people with balanced energies he’d become in contact with. In the end, and regardless of their energies being in tune enough to make a small Connection happen, there was no real chemistry with the people he would encounter. 

There were so many more elements that had to be considered for a strong Connection to be established between compatible partners, is what Jun would repeat all the time, and Aiba was sure the people organizing those matchmaking parties never considered such factors. They were a good enough distraction to fool around with, despite this event possibly interfering with the cosmic order between souls, but it wasn’t like he was taking them any seriously. 

That’s why Aiba was thankful that he had found a matchmaking agency that he could count on. Even when it was more on the expensive side of things, it flattered him to know the people he was meeting also had a similar background as his. Many were heirs to family-owned businesses just like Aiba, others had made their fortune on their own and weren’t there to meet potential soulmates but to meet partners. It was a good way to extend relations among businesses as well as personal relationships. And even if it was like any other matchmaking party, Aiba appreciated that it had its own reputation.

When he’d just begun to become engaged talking to a Scorpio and owner of a small but booming restaurant chain business, his phone had started to vibrate insistently. Aiba thought of letting it go to voicemail, but the calls would not stop coming in. While trying to keep a straight face in front of the Scorpio, he ended up feeling most awkward and impatient. Finally, Aiba excused himself before he moved to a corner of the salon and attended to his incoming call.

“Mom?”

_ “Masaki, dear? Oh, I’m glad you picked up!” _ His mom chirped loudly from the other side of the line, it sounded like Aiba’s phone was on speaker. “ _ How has your day been? I hope I’m not interrupting anything important. _ ”

“Um… well…” Aiba looked around the crowded room unable to think of a clear answer himself.

_ “I was calling to let you know, we just finished ordering the catering for our gathering tonight. A little last minute, I know. We just couldn’t get confirmation from our guests right away. I don’t want to repeat the embarrassment from last year when we ran out of our good wine. But no worries! The cellar is fully stocked this time.” _

“That’s… great, mom.”

_ “Oh! Guess what? We actually got to put in an order from that bakery you love so much! I know you said they usually ran out of cakes by Christmas Eve, but they were kind enough to accept an offer from your father, so make sure to thank him later!” _

Aiba sighed into the line. “Of course…” 

_ “You are still coming tonight, yes? Everyone is expecting to see you.” _ His mother asked with that recognizable tone that always made Aiba feel guilty for not wanting to attend. His mother always got a kick out of planning whichever event could be held in their home. It was spacious enough to hold all his father’s acquaintances and she always delighted herself showing off their new acquisitions in their home. Aiba’s birthday coinciding with Christmas Eve was almost like a gift by itself. She never missed an opportunity to plan large receptions at their home, despite Aiba always being against it. Ever since he moved out of their house he’d been able to find the right excuses to not participate in these events, but somehow the birthday parties never stopped coming. 

“Yeah, I’ll be there.”

_ “I’m glad!” _ She cheered in high spirits. Aiba’s only satisfaction was being able to make her happy.

“Is that all? I’m actually kind of in the middle of something-”

_ “Oh! Before you go, your father had asked me to tell you if you could pass by the company by the end of the week? They’re holding a meeting about the New Year sales and he needs you to stand in for him.” _

“Y-Yeah, sure. I’ll do that. I’ll talk to you later-”

_ “Wait, Masaki? There is something else,” _ his mother stopped him. Her tone turned more serious this time.  _ “We keep getting some of your mail to the house address and I was going to forward it to you, but I’m not sure if you were still interested. It’s all from.... The Horoscope Monthly, Now Cosmic, and Celestial Lovers Digest. You’re... not still interested in these things, right? May I remind you your father said he would cut your allowance if you kept purchasing books.” _

“N-No! I’m… cutting back on those. That’s just… old issues they sent after I canceled their subscription, don’t worry about it.”

_ “Alright,” _ his mother sounded unconvinced.  _ “You know, if you were still interested in getting a good matchmaker, I could always talk to our family counselor. He’ll surely make the process a little more… interpersonal.” _ _   
  
_

“That’s not necessary, mom. Really, I can handle it.”   
  


_ “Are you still seeing that Astrologist of yours?” _ _   
  
_

Aiba could pick up the disapproval in her voice. She wasn’t concerned by the fact that Aiba was seeing an Astrologist, but by  _ who _ he was seeing. His parents had been clear of their dislike for Matsumoto for the sole fact that they considered him a public Astrologist. And even though Aiba had proved to them that Matsumoto’s preparation and reputation in the field was worth far more than what they judged, they weren’t too thrilled that Aiba was sharing his personal medical records to someone outside of the Aiba family registry.

“I am seeing him, mom. Matsumoto has been very helpful to me. You don’t have to worry about any of it.” Aiba made sure to sound as reassuring as he could, but he knew his parents would never be able to understand why he had signed up for an Astrologist outside of his family’s contact circle. 

Aiba had first heard of Matsumoto from a matchmaking event similar to the one he was participating in that day. Aiba had been switching Astrologists for years, always unsatisfied with their readings and predictions or simply creeped out by them. He had come to learn that the Astrology field was not always as honest as it was meant to be. Many doctors who claimed to have a preparation in Astrology were mostly pretenders looking to make a quick buck, making up predictions and telling their clients what they wanted to hear to build a reputation. Most of the people Aiba stumbled upon would quickly pick up on Aiba’s family name and they would do everything possible to keep him satisfied under their service, but Aiba had been reading far too many books on Astrological studies to see their inaccuracy from miles away. 

He had begun to give up on his search for a trustworthy Astrologist when an attendee at a spring matchmaking party, a Pisces who only wore Armani suits with a lingering smell of tobacco, had shared a card of his own Astrologist with Aiba. The Pisces had assured him Matsumoto’s fees were proof of his quality service, as he would only offer his services to people of higher social standard. He was younger than most Astrologist in the field, but he possessed incredible fate-reading skills. 

“His soul-matching predictions are up to 85%!” The Pisces enthusiasm was enough to convince Aiba to book a first appointment the next week.

Aiba remembered his first appointment with Matsumoto very fondly. His office was in Matsumoto’s own residence, which resembled Aiba’s family estate in size, with the exception of its interiors being mostly washed out in white and minimalist decor. Aiba admired with great awe the bonsai garden that could be seen through the glass walls of Matsumoto’s office. He wasn’t sure if Matsumoto was another scam and he’d promised his parents this would be his last attempt at finding a personal astrologist. But Matsumoto’s words back then had completely changed the way Aiba felt about all the other initial interviews he’d experienced with other Astrologists and opened his mind to new understandings of the profession.

“It is not the Astrologist’s job to find whoever your perfect match is. There will be thousands of matches in your way, but in the end, it’s you who will decide who will be your Destined One. It’s not just about your compatible signs and matching energies. There are so many more factors that can tilt the possibility of compatibility to your favor, and that is where I come in. I can’t be the one to determine who you’ll connect with, but I will be able to help you become attuned to whoever you choose to love.”

Matsumoto’s theories of Soulmate Connections were similar to those Aiba had read about in many books during his endless research, and making the decision to join Matsumoto’s services had probably been a fateful encounter on its own. 

Aiba knew that if Matsumoto found out he’d decided to go to another matchmaking event, even worse, on his own birthday, he would probably get mad and decide to hold off on Aiba’s New Year fortune predictions as a punishment. Matsumoto would always say those matchmaking events were too forced to nurture an honest Connection between individuals. Energies would just fail to align and the encounters would upset the organic ways of Fate. Yet, Aiba didn’t think it would cause any harm if he wasn’t taking them seriously either. After all, he had built enough confidence with Matsumoto to not expect any serious punishment.   
  


~   
  


By the time the matchmaking party ended, Aiba had acquired a couple of exchanged phone numbers from some attendees who seemed like they could be potential future accounts for his father’s company. This time, everyone had strictly followed the “no touching” rule so he didn’t experience any physical Connections. Aiba preferred it this way. He didn’t want to get hung up on whoever he’d made a Connection with for the rest of his birthday, considering he wouldn’t be able to get as drunk as he originally intended to because of the reception his parents would be holding for him.

That night wasn’t any more special than other birthday nights he had experienced. Regardless of the warm greetings and gifts everyone made for him, Aiba couldn’t help but focus on the number of couples walking around at his own party. It seemed as if the sight he tried to avoid the most on that particular day of the year was all he could stumble upon even at his own reception. Aiba tried not to let it bother him through the night, but there must have been several dozens of his father’s comrades at their home that night, and Aiba got tired of the sight. He retreated elsewhere to his own silence, stepping away from the commotion of the chatter and etiquette to be with himself for a while. He could slightly see the lights of the freezing night sky behind clouds that teased the snowfall. Stargazing always made him feel much calmer with himself, but he could barely even see the stars that night. It felt unfair. 

Aiba felt like calling it a night and retreating home, but they had yet to serve the cake. A slice of it did provide him with some comfort, and he was almost glad of the stunt his mother had been able to pull off to get it for him. He made sure to thank her for all she’d done to try and help lift his mood throughout a day that was most difficult for him to go through, and then said his goodnights to his parents before driving to his own home. The Christmas lights he could see out the window of his car during his ride reminded him of the stars he couldn’t see that night, but it wasn’t the same. It was hard to rely on their glow for any sign of hope that could tell him things would be different in the approaching New Year. After all, they weren’t the celestial objects he depended on so much, but that night Aiba had begun to wonder if there was really any possibility that he could ask the Christmas lights for divine intervention.   
  


~   
  


Aiba’s attention was set on the window, abandoning the conference that had continued before him. The head of Analytics, Kazama, had been going on for several minutes about the projections of their last quarter, worried that their Chief Executive Officer hadn’t been listening to anything he was reporting about. Their head manager Ohno had signaled Kazama to continue regardless of Aiba’s clear distraction just to move on with their agenda. Perhaps it had been a bad decision to call in the CEO with such short notice to stand in for their meeting. Clearly he wasn’t in the right mind to catch anything that was being discussed.    
  


“Chief, what should we do about our proposals for next season’s products?” The head of the creative department, Watanabe, asked once Kazama had finished his report.    
  


Aiba was still distracted by the view out the window, taking in the vast view of the city that could be admired from their company building. A moment of silence seemed to pass without Aiba realizing that Watanabe had addressed him directly and Ohno was forced to extreme measures: kicking Aiba’s leg under the table for him to finally snap back into reality.    
  


Shaken by the sudden hit, Aiba realized all eyes of the room were on him, waiting for a response to something he had barely heard.    
  


“Um… Sorry...” Aiba cleared his throat. “The… products you said?”   
  


“For next season, yes,” Watanabe confirmed.    
  


“Right… we’ll just look through it for next week. Keep working on the New Year’s sales for now.” Aiba ordered, recovering himself from his sudden trance. His subordinates all took note of that while Aiba rubbed his tired eyes.   
  


“Let’s call it a day,” Ohno finally announced once no one had anything to add. Everyone hurried to pick up their things and excuse themselves out of the conference room, but Aiba took his sweet time, feeling himself sink tiredly into his own chair at the head of the conference table. Ohno had also stayed behind, watching how Aiba refused to pick himself up and leaned back on his chair to close his eyes. “Are you doing anything right now?” Ohno asked, and he invited Aiba to go out drinking with him, hoping this would motivate the young CEO.    
  


~   
  


“Didn’t sleep last night?” Ohno asked, staring at his own drink. They sat on the stools at the bar counter. Ohno knew how much Aiba liked this spot and (he was sure) that it would definitely make him feel a lot calmer.   
  


“No, I slept. Just a little late, that’s all.” Aiba pouted.   
  


“It must be Capricorn season already,” Ohno smiled. “Been researching anything interesting?”   
  


“More of the same, I guess,” Aiba took a swig of his gin on the rocks. “I was actually watching TV. That show,  _ Nino-san _ was on.”   
  


“You like that kind of stuff?” Ohno asked, a little estranged. Aiba couldn’t deny he had expressed to be feeling upset at the on-going national TV show  _ Nino-san _ before, so it only seemed odd that he had changed his mind now.   
  


“I mean, I used to think that getting that person to host was just a bad excuse to put an Astrologist on TV and get ratings, but his predictions were not that bad.”   
  


“Were they honest, his readings?” Ohno asked.   
  


“He used to say stuff I’ve heard from other pretenders, but his most recent episodes haven’t been too bad. He may have gotten a good production team searching up horoscopes for him after they renewed his show. As long as they are truthful…”   
  


“What does your Astrologist think of you watching stuff like that?”   
  


Aiba chuckled lightly. “He doesn’t need to know everything I do.”   
  


“Does he approve of you looking through predictions outside of the service he provides for you?”   
  


“It’s not like there is any harm in it.” Aiba said and hesitated over his drink, wondering about his own words.   
  


“I mean, wouldn’t it be better to have your readings come from a sole source?” Aiba didn’t respond right away, giving way for Ohno to explain himself further. “All your books and research help you understand the compatibility spectrum better, but wouldn’t it be overwhelming to try and understand so many perspectives of it? For something purely dependent on the sum of all parts of an individual’s life, wouldn’t it be preferable to listen to your personal guide?”   
  


Aiba stared at his drink with the same conscious feeling that he’d kept finding himself trapped in that week.   
  


“I guess… it does get exhausting having so many predictions thrown at you all at once. It’s hard to know which one to listen to.”

“You could focus on a single prediction and see where that takes you.” Ohno said and it made Aiba feel as if he was in one of his appointments with Matsumoto. He began to miss talking with his Astrologist.   
  


“Remind me again why you gave up on becoming an Astrologist?”    
  


Ohno laughed, slightly embarrassed. It was not his intention to come off as if he was trying to give any directions to Aiba, though he did have a sense the young CEO was in need of a talk. “I honestly stopped seeing the point of it. I think I was just overthinking everything, I could only see the chaos.”   
  


“Well, if it makes you feel better, it is proven the universe is extremely chaotic.” Aiba reassured him.    
  


“Right. And it’s not wrong that you are trying to find some guidance among that chaos, but try not to lose yourself too deep in it, okay? You still have your father’s company to run.  _ Foliage _ would be nothing without you.”   
  


Aiba chuckled. “You’re starting to sound like dad.”   
  


“Then he must know what he is talking about.” Both laughed, indulging themselves in their drinks. Despite the alcohol and the good time Ohno had offered him, it was hard for Aiba to shake away his worries. The possibility that he had been doing everything wrong all along terrified him and he felt it was about time that he looked for some guidance before it was too late.   
  


~   
  


Aiba visited Matsumoto right after the holiday week. New Year’s was quickly approaching and Aiba knew many of Matsumoto’s clients would want to see him for their New Year’s fortune, but the moment Matsumoto welcomed Aiba into his home office, he noticed the Capricorn didn’t seem in the right mindset for predictions. Even when Aiba sat in his designated futon, his words were hardly coming out.   
  


“Jun… am I doing something wrong?” Matsumoto could feel the worry in his voice. “I’ve been searching for so long, I’ve talked to so many other Astrologists, none of which has been too helpful. I’ve studied and read about the cosmos so many times and yet I don’t think I come close to understanding it even now.” Aiba fidgeted with his own fingers like a nervous child. “I keep telling myself I am ready and I launch at every possibility I can find without thinking twice, even when I’m aware it might disturb the cosmic order. I’m not trying to jeopardize it, but it might just be… that I am desperate.”   
  


“I understand,” Matsumoto spoke. “And accepting that is your first step towards improving your perspective. I think it is really brave of you to realize that.” Aiba was grateful for Matsumoto’s encouraging words, but hearing what he feared had been true all along concerned him deeply. “Aiba, I know that you are doing your best to find your own happiness, but some things just need to be left alone so they can happen.”   
  


“Yeah… you’re right. As someone who can’t shut up about the cosmic order, I should have known better. I feel so stupid. No wonder I haven’t been feeling like myself lately.”    
  


“It’s nothing to beat yourself up about. Actually, it’s more common than you might think.”   
  


Aiba’s eyes were glued down, feeling ashamed about coming to this realization in front of Matsumoto. “I suppose it is about time… that I give up.”    
  


“On the contrary,” Matsumoto offered him a comforting look that wouldn’t let Aiba be too hard on himself. “This is a big step. Believe me.” Matsumoto’s eyes smiled for Aiba, showing optimism that was most puzzling, and yet Aiba didn’t have any other choice than to believe in his words.   
  


That day, his meeting with Matsumoto ran short. Matsumoto was busy and Aiba didn’t feel like taking up any more of his time. Right when Aiba walked out the door, Matsumoto had a change of heart of what he could do to help the other.   
  


“Hey, Aiba…”   
  


Aiba turned to his call in the middle of the pathway of Jun’s front lawn. Matsumoto hesitated before speaking, but he couldn't bear seeing Aiba leave when he was feeling down like that.    
  


“I forgot to mention before… I want to try something different for your New Year predictions,” he said and his words were enough to spark up some interest in Aiba, for a change. Matsumoto walked up to him despite not having his coat on, and the cold was already creeping through his sweater vest. “I thought, instead of making a calculation on what sort of fortune you would find in different aspects of your life, there is something I’ve been meaning to try. I thought… wouldn’t it be better to calculate your surrounding energies and predict in which positions you would find the most spark of good luck across the year?”   
  


“What would that mean?”   
  


“To put it simply, it might probably work as a Luck Calendar,” Matsumoto said. “That way, we know which days your energies are at their highest and most active. Specific days in which Fate can work in your favor.”   
  


“Is that… possible?” Aiba asked.

“Certainly. It’s a lot more work, for sure, that is why I am not offering this as a public service yet, more like a test run. Only if you’re interested, maybe… you could help me out with this?” Matsumoto asked and Aiba was clearly not sure how to respond. “Of course, there might be some downsides to it. I will not be able to get it done in time for the New Year. I still need to do some research on the phases of the moon to make it work and I might need to get your feedback on how accurately the predictions are, but I think I have a good--”   
  


“I’ll do it.” Matsumoto’s words were cut off by Aiba’s decision and he didn’t find the need to explain it any further. “If you think this is right for me and it’ll help me change my patterns, I’ll be glad to help.”    
  


Matsumoto was more than pleased to hear his assertiveness and it was reassuring to know Aiba was still his optimistic self. Matsumoto knew he’d done right by asking for his assistance. He only hoped this would still give Aiba something to look forward to in the future and return him his hope.   
  


~   
  


That evening when Aiba returned to his apartment, he looked through his closet for boxes where he could store away all the books about astrology he could find on his shelves. He filled several boxes, including piles of magazines that lied around the living room that he preferred to keep out of his reach as well. The last book he’d taken out from the library was still lying on his dinner table and he took out the bookmark he’d stored in it. His apartment had begun to look a lot cleaner and emptier. He thought that maybe now he didn’t have to do much cleaning for New Year’s after all. It felt strange, but somehow that emptiness was already giving way for the air around his home to flow better and some of his anxious feelings about not knowing what the future might hold began to take turn into peacefulness.   
  


That night, unlike most nights, he didn’t feel the need to stargaze. For, whatever may come, he decided to let it happen.    
  


~   
  


The New Year events were enough to keep Aiba busy in his own mind. He’d started to go to the  _ Foliage _ corporate office much more often, attending to the work he’d been neglecting before. His father was pleased to see him work during the start of the year as Aiba had decided to dedicate his energies to his family’s business from now on. His attention was no longer divided between looking for predictions that would tell him how to coordinate his life. For a while, he’d started to let things run on their own, seeing what lying back and letting Fate take its course would actually feel like. Every now and then, he did feel curious to know what sort of predictions he would get from newspaper horoscopes or the astrological apps that remained on his phone, but he’d learned to resist the urge to look. In a sense, this had made him stronger and much more willing to face challenges that would present themselves to him in his daily life. He was learning to live without big expectations. And he’d come to learn this was much more liberating.   
  


When Jun finally contacted Aiba again, the Holidays had come and gone. Aiba had been awakened by his vibrating phone sitting on his bedside table. When he glanced at the time, he saw it was only a few minutes past 6:00 am.    
  


“Jun?” Aiba’s drowsy voice answered through the line.

  
“Aiba… I’m so sorry I’m calling at this time. I realize it might be rude of me, but I just needed to let you know as soon as I could,” Jun’s words sounded quick for Aiba, and he had to put in extra effort to understand him.   
  


“W-What is it?”   
  


“I finished your Luck Calendar,” Jun said. “It’s all set. Every date for this year.”   
  


“Really? That’s… great.” Aiba tried to sound as excited as he would normally be if it wasn’t for his yawning.   
  


“And, I know this might not be the best time to call, but there’s a reason I needed to contact you as soon as I could. I thought you might want to hear this first.”   
  


“Yeah…? What’s that?”   
  


“Starting today… your energies are overflowing.”    
  


Aiba had to stop scratching his tired eyes, barely hearing what Jun had said. “What?”   
  


“Your energies, they’re at an all-time high. In fact, your astral position is almost impeccable. Your current situation is optimal, I’d say, it’s the best I’ve seen out of anyone before.”   
  


Aiba’s drowsiness began to wear off as Jun explained something that Aiba found so hard to believe. “W-Wait… what are you saying?”   
  


“Aiba, I mean, right now, you are in your most advantaged position. Your stars are aligned, your sign is in a good place, it’s even the year of the dog so I’m saying this isn’t just great, it’s optimal.”   
  


“Optimal? What- what do you mean? Optimal for what exactly?” Aiba asked, still confused, feeling that Jun didn’t want to be as clear as he would have preferred for him to be. 

  
“Optimal for a fateful encounter,” Jun said. Aiba fell into complete silence. “I found this prediction when I first started composing your calendar and the more I compared it to other dates and times, the more I realized none matched the energies that would be projected on this day for you. And I know it is a little last minute to tell you just now, but I think it is better this way. For you who are learning to let go of these premeditated actions to make miracles happen, I think it best to live today as you are now. It is only fair I would let you know since you are paying me for my service, but I wanted you to know, as your Astrologist, I would advise you to live today as it is. Accept it as it comes to you. Don’t get too caught up in finding your fortune and let those energies do what they are meant to. Just… let it happen.”   
  


Aiba listened in silence, not sure if there were really words in him to come up with a possible response for Jun. Even a thank you in return seemed hard to let out for Aiba, as he was still trying to take in the reality of it. If it was true, if this was really true, this was it. This was the day he would find what he’d been waiting for all this time. This would be the day. All those predictions he’d heard before, all those articles that had warned him of this moment, it would be for today, it would be for the present that he would live for that day.   
  


~   
  


Aiba couldn’t go back to sleep, impatient with the thought that he could not misspend his time on this day. Even the thought of stepping out of his door made him incredibly nervous. All the time he’d spent reading about the cosmos and preparing himself for his fateful day didn't seem enough. Yet, strangely, he felt he could put all his worries behind him. He had no idea what would be waiting for him out there, but he had begun to feel the rising sensation of his energies vibrating all over his body. He couldn’t help but feel a rush of enthusiasm taking over him. He had no choice but to look forward.    
  


His plan for today was to spend as much time outside as he could but making it as organic as possible. He visited the cafe he normally frequented to get his breakfast and took his time with his coffee, which was surprisingly tasty. There was no need to rush himself, so he took his time to look around the cafe to study each of the faces that crossed the door and ordered their drinks. Each time the front door chimed with a new customer, he felt his breath cut short, but no one had caught his attention enough for him to stare for too long. The cafe looked like most days, with its regular customers coming in and out. After he’d finished his cup, he felt bored of waiting for anyone that might catch his attention and moved on to the company.   
  


He attended meetings with several of the creative team members and Ohno, all people he had seen before countless times, and surely bumped into enough to know there wasn’t any type of Connection between them. Aiba hated how he kept becoming distracted by his anxiousness during their discussions, but he couldn't stop the anticipation from occupying his every single thought. When he finally found the focus he needed to attend the meetings of the day, Aiba noticed a significant increase in good projections from the sales they had made since the last season. They were gradually closing in on a successful quarter. Surely, this was good news, but Aiba couldn’t feel excited about anything else at that moment. 

  
Aiba had no idea of where to head next. He couldn’t go far since he’d decided not to take his motorcycle out that day considering how cloudy it had become. Aiba tried to recall what sort of things he would do on a regular day out besides hoarding Astrology books for fun. It had been long since the last time he went out shopping and thought it would be a brilliant idea to get a new set of clothes as he’d put no sort of effort on his outfit that day due to his distractions.   
  


He took a taxi and visited his favorite tailor in Ginza who seemed very pleased to see him. Aiba tried on whatever was thrown at him; shirts of all colors, textures and a variety of ties. Now more than ever, he was indecisive about what looked best. He would ask his tailor, but of course, he was only persuading him to buy more than just one outfit. Aiba didn’t need all the outfits he’d tried on, he just needed one that would get him through the day.   
  


He finally decided on a casual black blazer over a turtleneck and shiny new shoes, though when he kept thinking about it, he may have gone way overboard. He couldn’t predict the kind of person he was going to find, so going simple may have been his best choice, but it was too late now that he’d already paid and walked out of the store with his new clothes. However, the more he looked at his reflection, the more he convinced himself this is what he needed. If he really wanted to make a good first impression, the least he could do was look decently dressed and clean. 

  
His next stop was at a hair salon. His hair was long overdue for a good trim and what better timing to get it done than now. Luckily, there were no other customers waiting at the salon and Aiba could be squeezed in right away. Surely, some appointments may have been canceled due to the heavy rain that started pouring down. Aiba watched the window thinking he’d been lucky enough to bring his own umbrella, but he wasn’t completely sure if this was a token of good luck or not.    
  


He’d barely been able to hear his phone chime in the middle of all the noise at the salon, but as he was about to pay, he saw the notification of a text message from a contact he could not recognize right away. Something in him had started drumming fast once he realized who it was and what it could potentially be. The contact was saved as ‘Kitamura (Match-Party)’.   
  


_ ‘Hello, this is Kitamura Kazuki. I don’t know if you  _ _   
_ _ remember me from the matchmaking event last month, _ _   
_ _ but I’ve been hesitating to contact you for a while.  _ _   
_ _ I had a nice time when we talked and I would like to get  _ _   
_ _ to know you a little better if that is okay with you.  _ _   
_ _ If you’re up for some drinks tonight, let me know.’ _ _   
  
_

Aiba’s heart was racing as he read the unexpected text. He did remember Kitamura. He remembered thinking about how he was probably one of the most handsome people at the matchmaking party. It was the first time Aiba had met anyone like him in that sort of gathering, it was almost hard to believe anyone like that was single. But even crazier was the possibility that he would be thinking about Aiba even now. Aiba needed to pinch himself to take in Kitamura’s text while his stomach fluttered with nervousness. This could possibly mean nothing he’d done before had been a coincidence after all. It was the ways of Fate he’d been following all along.   
  


Aiba had become so filled with excitement, his shock hadn’t even let him realize he had to respond to the text. He decided to do so right away.   
  


_ ‘Hello, Kitamura. I do remember you. I also had _ _   
_ _ a nice time talking the other day. A drink sounds great!  _ _   
_ _ Would you meet me at the hotel’s bar in an hour?’ _ _   
  
_

For once, Aiba felt no need to debate if he should be doing this or not. He could let destiny take the wheel and he would follow gladly. Aiba had had a feeling about Kitamura since the moment he first saw him at the matchmaking event. He’d undoubtedly found him attractive since the very first moment, and he’d recalled how their eyes kept meeting until Kitamura finally approached him to talk. Out of those small encounters he’d had from that event, it was only natural that something would sprout out of it.    
  


Aiba had no time to lose now, so he called his own cab to take him to the hotel as soon as possible. He wanted to be there first just to get a drink in his system to calm his nerves before he met up with Kitamura. The people at the salon were kind enough to let him stay there enough for the rain to subside. He left in a hurry, walking as quickly as he could, holding on tightly to his umbrella. He spotted his cab coming down the street and signaled for it. The driver immediately pulled over and Aiba could feel his tension building knowing that, shortly enough, he would be on his way to the hotel to see Kimura and he would know, for sure, if he was the one he was waiting for.    
  


Aiba went to get in the cab when another hand reached for the door first. Both stopped the moment their hands almost overlapped and looked up at each other, confused about where the other had come from.    
  


“Excuse me, this is my cab.” Aiba pointed out to the other man who looked as if the whole sky had rained down on him.    
  


“I’m sorry, I clearly called for this cab myself.”   
  


“No, I mean I ordered this cab. I’m sure another one would come around eventually. If you would excuse-”   
  


“Look, I really don’t have time to debate this. I’m sure you could wait for the next one.” The man interrupted him rudely, claiming property over the cab that Aiba had clearly called for himself.   
  


“Wait a minute! I also have places to be! You can get your own cab.”

  
“I’m sorry, but I’ve been walking for 5 blocks trying to get out of this rain, how is that fair?”

“That is not my problem and I don’t mean it in a rude way, but this is really not the right time.” Aiba grabbed the car’s door handle first.   
  


“Wait-”   
  


As quickly as the man went to stop Aiba’s hand from opening the door, the current of an electrical circuit that sparked between their skins made them both pull away from the painful contact. The man protested for the running voltage that rushed through his arm in what felt like a millisecond and of which the effect lingered achingly in his muscles. Aiba had dropped his umbrella to hold his own hand feeling it cramping up with a stinging current when he caught a glimpse of the man who seemed to be in the same painful condition as him.   
  


Aiba looked at his own hand and back at the man several times before he felt the sky clear out and the rainy clouds move away. The day had become much brighter, and he could see clearly for the first time. In the blink of a moment, he could feel the stars perfectly aligning above their heads.   
  


“You...”    
  


The man, who could still feel the remaining jolts of electricity coursing all across his arm, found Aiba’s expectant eyes staring back at him. In Aiba’s bewilderment, the man gradually began to understand what had happened.   
  


“That... wasn’t just me. You felt that too, right?” Aiba asked eagerly. The man was at a loss, afraid to make any acknowledgment clear to Aiba. “Tell me that wasn’t just me.” Aiba insisted, and yet the man refused to say anything.   
  


“No, that couldn’t have...” He looked at his shaky hand, not bringing himself to admit what he’d just experienced. The man took small steps back, his panicked eyes glued to the ground “I have to go.” The man quickly turned on his heels and walked away, abandoning the cab entirely.    
  


His getaway had almost taken Aiba unaware, but he knew he couldn’t let him go. “Wait!” Aiba followed behind him and the man waited, although he still refused to face him. “What’s your name? Can you at least let me know?” Aiba asked, and he could see how the man’s body tensed in hesitation. “I’m sorry... I’m not interested.”    
  


Aiba watched the man’s back walk away and merge with the many other people that walked down the street. In his perplexity, he couldn’t come to understand the man’s words before he’d run off and he had lost sight of him. The man’s voice was still resounding in Aiba’s head with visible confusion.

  
Aiba couldn’t help but look back down to his own hand and feel the remains of the Connection that coursed through his veins. He couldn’t have imagined how painful it would be. He had seen the other’s hand flail from the shock as well. Had it meant nothing to that man? Nothing at all?   
  


Aiba walked back to pick up his fallen umbrella on the side of the sidewalk when he noticed the small object that remained behind next to it. A leathery wallet, almost like a present fallen from the sky. Once he inspected it long enough, he could tell it belonged to that man.   
  


“Sakurai Sho,” Aiba read his name out loud, the same name the man had refused to share with him. He watched the picture that accompanied his I.D and studied the man whose destiny had entwined with his for just a fraction of a second. The man Fate had decided to put in his path. The person who he’d shared his first charged Connection with. His Fated One. The one who turned away the moment he realized their energies bounded and gave no second thought to the possibility of their Connection.


	3. Aquarius

Aiba paced back and forth in Matsumoto's office before sitting back down on the futon. He glanced at his phone and stood back up to resume his impatient pacing. Matsumoto had to stop what he was doing momentarily, unable to concentrate on his search.

“Maybe it’ll help to just text him first?” Matsumoto suggested.

“No... he could ghost me.”

“Why would he ghost you? Didn’t you say you two Connected?”

Aiba looked back at Jun, conscious that maybe he hadn’t shared with the other the whole truth about his encounter with the man in question.

“It’s... harder to talk through text. It’s better to confront people straight on and talk.”

“Then, call him.” Jun had returned to his desk, typing the name 'Sakurai Sho' for a third time into his computer.

“I will...” Aiba looked over at Jun’s computer trying to get a peek at what he was doing. “Have you found anything yet?”

Jun shot a fulminating gaze that made Aiba step back apologetically. “Alright…” Aiba realized he had to stop fighting the nerves that kept him from dialing the number he’d found in the wallet or else everything he’d been hoping for until now would go to waste. If he truly wanted this, he would go after Sakurai with all he had.

After thinking over his words, Aiba dialed the phone number and pressed it against his ear. He waited for the dial tones to come one after another with a dreadful silence in between, each tone making him forget his rehearsed words and turning his head into a total blank slate. Luckily, the call was missed, but he couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. “No answer.”

“You could leave a message,” Matsumoto suggested.

“That won’t do,” Aiba sat heavily on the futon, staring at his phone, hoping it would light up at any second. “Any luck finding his registry?”

“None at all. The majority of the Sakurais I’ve found are females. And either way, they don’t match this individual’s date of birth. This Sakurai Sho’s records are either strictly private or they’ve never been inputted into the system.”

“Is that possible? Could someone not be in the system?”

“Well, your record becomes available in the network when you first register in Astrology therapy. It is the only source we Astrologist can search to demonstrate compatibility between two people. If he has never signed up for Astrology therapy before then I have no chance of finding it.”

Aiba suddenly remembered the words he’d heard from Sakurai before he watched him walk away. 

_ “I’m not interested.” _

But that couldn’t be…

“And if it were the case that it was a private record, would you not be able to get access? Even if you’re a top-ranked Astrologist?”

“My ranking might be high, but I have no power over records that are protected from the network. Those can only be accessed by authorized parties. Much like how your family wanted to keep your records under their private access.”

“I don’t know…” Aiba’s head tilted pensively. “He didn’t seem like a high social standard kind-of guy.”

“Why do you think so?”

“His wallet is cheap,” Aiba said. They both stared at the rain-stained fake leather wallet that laid on Matsumoto’s desk. “He has no credit cards, it is mostly cash that he carries around. No business cards, no membership cards anywhere. If anything, it’s just expired coupons.”

Matsumoto took the wallet and studied it himself, slightly impressed at Aiba’s observations. “I guess that possibility is out,” Matsumoto said.

“What now, then? What if we can’t find him?”

Matsumoto set the wallet back on the desk and in front of Aiba. “You can try returning this, for starters. Once you get a hold of him, which you will, you just have to talk it through. Be sure to get his consent so I can run the compatibility test for you both and just ask if his file is up in the system.”

~

Aiba tried calling the number again after he got out of his bath. He didn’t think there would be an answer but if he didn’t try a last time, it wouldn’t let him sleep. Sakurai had been on his mind ever since that encounter. He thought he could still feel the current of electric energy running all over his arm. The sensation was so hard to explain, he didn’t even feel he could put it into words for Matsumoto. Aiba kept opening the wallet to look at the I.D. and Sakurai’s picture to study it some more. If he had ever come across a man like that, he would have remembered for sure. There was something about him, besides the chance of compatibility, that he’d caught in the gaze of the other. He’d seen so many attractive people before, people that Aiba had wished they would be a good match for him, yet right now, Aiba couldn’t attribute his curiosity towards Sakurai to just his good looks. He could be going crazy, but he was convinced he had to find him. 

Aiba dialed the number, waiting to be let down by a missing call once again when the ringing tone suddenly stopped the third time. 

_ “Hello...?”  _ A familiar voice came through. Without a doubt, it was him.  _ “Hello?” _

Aiba had to take a moment to regain himself. “Is this Sakurai Sho? I’m Aiba,” he said before Sakurai’s silence let him know the other had no clue of who was talking. “Umm… we met the other day… we sort of bumped into each other… trying to get a cab.” There was a momentary silence through the line that almost made Aiba sweat through his freshly showered skin. 

_ “How did you get this number?” _

“Umm… I found it in your wallet. You dropped it that time we met. I-I didn’t steal it or anything. I just want to return it.” Sakurai’s lack of response was daunting. “Would it be possible to meet? Perhaps tomorrow.”

_ “I work tomorrow.”  _ His words were dry.

“Early in the morning is fine with me.” Aiba still didn’t back down. Aiba had to wait for Sakurai to think about it, but he was not going to take a no for an answer. 

~

That same night, Aiba had texted Sakurai the location of his favorite café. It was better for them to meet in a public place just so he could demonstrate to Sakurai that he had no ill intentions. Hopefully, the smell of freshly-brewed coffee would perhaps convince Sakurai to order breakfast and they could get to talk. Or at least, Aiba could get to know him a little better. 

Aiba noticed him the moment he crossed the door of the café. The picture in his I.D. had suddenly come to life before him again. It stunned Aiba for a full second and he suddenly lost the strength he needed to signal Sakurai to his table. Sakurai seemed to recognize him slightly and, shortly enough, he approached Aiba’s table at the same pace Aiba’s heart raced. When he stood in front of Aiba, there were no words. His eyes looked tired and his body language slightly irritated to even be there so early in the morning. When Aiba snapped out of his initial trance of studying the handsome man before him, he invited Sakurai to take the seat across from him.

“I just need my wallet,” Sakurai interjected.

“Can’t we at least talk a little?” Aiba almost pleaded and he could detect the discontent from Sakurai’s sigh.

Sakurai realized he had no choice. Aiba was holding his wallet hostage unless he would abide by his demands. He took a seat in the least pleased manner possible and refused to speak first. Aiba still welcomed him with a small smile that hopefully relayed to him that he meant no harm.

“My name is Aiba Masaki. And you are Sakurai Sho, right?” Aiba asked. Sakurai only nodded, as if using his voice would bind him into a conversation he wanted to get away from. “I know you refused to share your name with me before, and I’m sorry. But obviously, this is very important to you,” Aiba placed the wallet on the table. “I couldn’t just not return it.” Aiba slid the wallet closer to Sakurai for him to take. Sakurai eyed him before accepting it and inspecting its inside to make sure everything was in order. “It’s all there, don’t worry. I only searched it for your contact number.”

“Thank you,” Sakurai finally spoke and it comforted Aiba to know he did not seem as rude as he was making himself out to be.

“I can’t imagine what I would do if I lost my wallet,” Aiba said. “I would definitely freak out. I’m glad I was able to reach you quickly enough-”

“You know, I… I don’t have much time. I should get to work.” Sakurai’s impatient behavior showed him that he wished this would all be over soon. 

“Me too! I don’t want to take much of your time, I just… wanted to get to know you.”

A silence settled between them as their gazes met one another, though Aiba was more willing to make eye contact than Sakurai, whose eyes turned away almost to not be drawn in. 

An employee of the café approached their table just then, breaking the already unsteady bond Aiba was trying to display between them. She placed a warm cup of coffee in front of Aiba before she turned to Sakurai to take his order. “The usual, Sakurai?” she asked. 

Aiba stopped mid drink to look a little surprised at the familiarity between the barista and Sakurai. Meanwhile, Sakurai looked like he would have preferred it if the woman didn’t act so natural around him at that moment.

“Sure,” Sakurai said with no other alternative, figuring it was too late to draw Aiba’s curiosity away.

“Do you come here often?” Aiba asked immediately after the barista had moved away to prepare Sakurai’s order. 

“My workplace isn’t too far from here.” 

“I come here all the time. How come I’ve never seen you around?”

“I’m never here this early,” Sakurai added.

“Me neither. Maybe we’ve crossed paths and never noticed. Where do you work? If I may know...”

Sakurai lifted an eyebrow at him. “You sure ask a lot about me.”

“Well, I’m definitely curious.”

Sakurai answered, just because he felt Aiba wouldn’t leave it alone until he did. “I’m a professor.”

“Really? In the area? Wait… Are you from Keio University? I go to their library all the time! And we’ve never crossed paths there either? That’s… strange.”

“It’s just a coincidence, that’s all.”

Aiba chuckled. “Coincidences don’t just happen casually,” Aiba remarked at Sakurai’s silly statement. “A coincidence insinuates the possibility of a rupture in the way of the universe. Like a mistake. But that’s impossible. There is only the path Fate has traced for each individual soul. The path we all follow to achieve the potential of our own existence. Calling it a coincidence is almost like an understatement.”

Sakurai looked at the other, weirded out by his sudden burst of intellect. “So you’re into that stuff?”

“What do you mean?”

“Astrology.”

Aiba thought it over before giving him a clear answer. He definitely didn’t want to give the wrong impression. “I like… reading about it… once in a while.”

“And you believe in it apparently,” Sakurai said, and Aiba wasn’t sure of how to interpret his tone. 

“It is a sense of enlightenment,” Aiba responded, proudly this time. “Everyone’s life is guided by the movement of the cosmos and motivated by the paths of Fate. Why wouldn’t anyone be into it?”

“You can’t really generalize things like that,” Sakurai responded defensively. “There might be some that don’t identify with the things that are usually said around it.”

“Well, if you don’t feel that a prediction speaks to you, you can just look at it from another perspective. The possibilities have been proven to be infinite. I think that’s what's so wonderful about it.”

  
  


“But wouldn’t that mean predictions are just not genuine? If you can just choose which prediction fits you best, then everyone can get away with anything.”

“That’s a very valid question,” A smile was drawn on Aiba’s lips. “Of course, there are many perspectives on how you can observe your own path, but the very same conditions that are determined on the day your birth help to narrow down the specific predictions that will resonate with your place in the universe. An accurate prediction can only be reached when we understand the descriptions of our own soul. Some of the factors you would need to consider for that are your Zodiac animal, your Sun sign, your Moon sign, your ascendant sign, all the coordinates of your natal planets, your element… Oh! Even your blood type can be a varying factor. How your prediction will turn out depends on what you chose to consider-”

“Are you an Astrologist?”

Aiba slowed himself down noticing Sakurai wasn’t particularly into his talk. He smiled nervously to the other. “No… I work in business. I’m... Acting Chief Executive Officer for my family’s company,  _ Foliage _ .” Sho frowned at the familiar name. “We develop a variety of every-day utility items based on recycled and environmentally friendly materials for local businesses. We’re close to dominating the market.” 

Sakurai didn’t want to say it, but he began to notice elements of Aiba that appeared to be hidden in plain sight. His clothes that seemed to be right out of the rack were probably branded, his phone that laid on the table was the last model and the watch peeking out of his leather jacket sleeve was quite possibly a Franck Muller. Now he understood; he was rich.

“I don’t get it… What's your fascination with Astrology then?”

“I just… read it for fun.”

“How can something so unreliable be fun?”

“It’s not unreliable,” Aiba defended his stance. “I already explained, it depends on the factors you consider for your prediction. In any case... what do you teach,  _ professor _ ?” Aiba’s tone emphasized his last word. 

“I teach History. Events and people that existed in this plane of life.” Sakurai got defensive as well.

“May I remind you, the very first scientist of our time studied the stars to understand our own existence,” said Aiba.

“That’s ancient science-”

“It is still the basis of all of our science today! We can’t possibly disregard their work as unreliable. Those ancient discoveries opened doors for the Astrological analysis that exists nowadays. Does that mean nothing to you?”

Sakurai sighed, a little in disbelief, but he had no plans to change his mind any time soon. “I mentioned it before, I’m not particularly interested in that kind of stuff,” he said, clearly unamused by Aiba’s explanations.

Aiba would be lying if he’d said he wasn’t taken aback by his relentless attitude. “But… What about our Connection?” Aiba asked, afraid to know about what he thought the crossing of their paths had meant. “Do you… not believe in that either?”

“That doesn’t necessarily mean our destinies are bound to each other. It is just a burst of energy.”

It didn’t make any sense, he wasn’t making any sense. Aiba had never met someone who could turn a blind eye on the ways of the cosmos and he certainly couldn’t imagine being connected to such a person in any way. What Aiba initially had found in the charm of his looks was beginning to fade because of his stubbornness.

The waitress came around their table once again with Sakurai’s coffee order, and since he was receiving nothing but Aiba’s silence in return, Sakurai stood up, ready to walk out. 

“Thank you for returning my wallet,” He said, refusing to accept their meeting had meant anything more. “I am sorry for the trouble.” He bid his farewell, his spontaneous manners gaining him nothing more than upsetting Aiba. He couldn’t let him go. With all he’d learned, all he’d researched and read countless times to understand to form his own opinions, he couldn’t begin to understand how anyone could be so ignorant towards it. Something that time and time again had been proven. Something that they had experienced together. How could anyone possibly ignore it?

Aiba stormed out of the café shortly after Sakurai and he couldn’t stop himself from calling out to him. “You’re wrong,” Sakurai stopped on his tracks when he heard Aiba’s voice. “It isn’t just that. The Connection can prove the compatibility of two individuals. The intensity of the Connection proves it. And I don’t know about you but… my hand is still shaking, ever since that moment.” Sakurai turned to face him and he noticed the passionate drive that motivated Aiba to stand before him then. “It’s not as simple as you make it out to be,” Aiba said. His voice held back anger and Sakurai was momentarily concerned that he’d provoked him. “I understand you might be a denier, but you can’t erase the factual existence of our Connection. Do you want more proof? Is that it?”

“You can get all the proof that you want,” Sakurai said. “But it's not easy to change my mind.”

As Sakurai bowed one last time in farewell, he did not realize what he’d agreed to, but Aiba was going to take every word for it if that was all it would take. 

Aiba went back inside the café to look through his phone. Now that he knew Sakurai worked at Keio University, it would be easier to get what he was looking for without even asking. He found Sakurai’s professor profile in no time and copied the link into an email he sent to Matsumoto straight away. 

Walking out of the café, Aiba called Matsumoto. “Did you get it? … Can you run the compatibility test with that data?”

_ “I can try,”  _ Matsumoto spoke, studying the link Aiba sent him.  _ “It might take some time. The info is really limited, but I can work around it.” _

“Thank you, Jun. Please call me once it’s done.” Aiba hung up right after, looking back to where Sakurai had walked off. Something in his chest couldn’t help but sting. Why was it the more Sakurai made himself so difficult to reach, the more he wanted to prove him wrong?

~

Aiba had decided to drown himself into work at the company to stop thinking about when the results for the compatibility test would come. Matsumoto was surely taking his time and Aiba worried there wasn't enough information on Sakurai for Matsumoto to complete it. Just to distract himself from calling Matsumoto and possibly interrupting him, Aiba had visited Keio’s staff profile pages a few more times. He entertained himself by reading over Sakurai’s profile, as if he could learn something about the other each time more.

Aiba really tried to resist the urge of doing Matsumoto’s work, but he could already tell Sakurai was an Aquarius. He could not pinpoint the exact compatibility level a Capricorn and an Aquarius had with each other but he knew it was not among the highest-ranked. Still, he couldn't base his analysis on just that, he would have to know his zodiac animal based on the Chinese New Year of the year he was born, which just so happened to be Aiba’s same birth year or even the level of interaction between an AB blood type like himself and an A blood type like Sakurai.

Aiba closed his laptop shut. He was going to drive himself crazy if he kept thinking about Sakurai for another second, drawing conclusions that weren’t really his job to make. He needed some fresh air to stop thinking about Sakurai Sho and he decided it was about time he went out for a drink.

~

The bar he usually frequented with Ohno was quite empty at late hours of the night, so he had a chance to choose a seat wherever he wanted, but someone at the bar had already caught his attention when he first arrived. 

“Jun?” Aiba approached him hesitantly, but when he was sure enough that it was him, he couldn’t hide his pleasant surprise. “I didn’t expect to find you here!” 

Matsumoto was puzzled to see Aiba there himself. Aiba’s smile was able to ease the heavy look that lingered in Matsumoto’s eyes. “Aiba… It’s good to see you too.”

“May I…?” Aiba asked to take a seat on the stool beside Matsumoto and the Astrologist couldn’t have been more welcoming of it. Aiba ordered his usual gin and tonic on the rocks before engaging in conversation with Matsumoto.

“What brings you here at this time?” Matsumoto asked first.

“I just needed to get out of my own head,” Aiba didn’t want to be blunt about what was really on his mind.

“I get what you mean.” Matsumoto shared a tired smile.

“Have you been really busy?” Aiba asked. 

“I haven’t really taken any sort of breaks since the New Year, but this is usually the high season for Astrological readings. It was about time I went out to clear my head for a while, as selfish as that may seem.” 

“It’s not selfish at all,” Aiba said. “I’m glad to see you out of your home. Even you deserve a breather from your work. You would exhaust your soul otherwise.”

Somehow, hearing those words from someone else made Matsumoto feel reassured. “Thank you.”

Aiba’s drink was served in front of him and they both shared a moment in the comfort or their own silence. This was the first time either of them met in a scenario that was not Matsumoto’s office and talking outside of the client spectrum was challenging even for Aiba. He had to hold himself back from asking anything about the test results from Matsumoto, especially considering this was Matsumoto’s personal time and he didn’t want to bother him.

“I bet you’re wondering about the test results,” Matsumoto saw through him like an open book. “Wondering if it’s finished or not?”

“N-No! I don’t want to pressure you or anything. Really, don’t mind it.”

“No worries… I’m nearly done,” he took a swig from his drink. “I know you must be excited to know, but I decided to take my time with it. Just, don’t expect me to tell you anything about it right now. You won’t get anything out of me even if I’m drunk.” Matsumoto joked, but Aiba could almost see something heavy in his eyes that held down Matsumoto’s usual spirits.

Even if Aiba had looked at Matsumoto many times before, it was almost strange to see him so up close and personal. It was almost a whole new side of Matsumoto he hadn’t come to know until now. This side of him felt different even to look at. Perhaps it was a more vulnerable side of Matsumoto he hadn’t noticed before. 

“Thank you, for everything you’ve done for me,” Although Aiba’s words felt unexpected, he had a feeling Matsumoto needed to hear them. “I’m glad I can have someone like you to guide me. More than just helping me achieve the best of me, I could also consider you my friend. That is worth a lot more to me than having the best Astrologist in the business. Though, for me, you are the best.”

Matsumoto was a little lost on how to respond to him and yet Aiba’s words were enough to bring back his usual smile. Aiba couldn’t imagine having gotten so far if it wasn’t for Matsumoto’s words saving him time and time again. The least he could do was help Matsumoto feel like his usual self, and what better way than to buy him another drink as a thank you?

“By the way… I don’t think I’ve ever asked,” Aiba said as they were nearly finishing their second glass. “What’s your sun sign? I’m almost in shock that I don’t know yet.”

A shy smile was drawn in Matsumoto’s lips. “I shouldn’t be telling you that, for sure.” 

“Oh, come on! It’s not like I wouldn’t find out anyway. All I would have to do is try and figure you out a little more,” Aiba said.

Matsumoto realized he wasn’t joking and with Aiba’s vast knowledge of astral signs, he knew his words were nothing to take lightly. “No, I mean… you shouldn’t do that.”

“Why not?” Aiba finished his drink.

“It’s against our service policy,” he responded, his tone much more serious than before. “In order to provide a strictly professional environment between clientele and Astrologists, it is required by law that our own horoscope readings are never disclosed.”

“Oh… I had no idea,” Aiba felt like he should apologize for even suggesting such a thing, but Matsumoto’s good nature comforted him.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s not common knowledge. I’ve never had to mention it before, myself. I guess this is probably the first time I’ve considered any of my clients a friend.” Their eyes met knowingly, with a friendly smile drawn on their tipsy lips. 

Aiba didn’t need a prediction to know meeting Matsumoto was one of the luckiest happenings he’d experience so far in his life. 

~

Matsumoto did not break his promise. 3 days later Aiba received a call to let him know that his compatibility test was ready. After finishing his work at the company, Aiba rode his motorcycle over to Matsumoto’s residence. Aiba had to wait for Matsumoto to finish with another client, and his thoughts brought him back to the moment of Connection with Sakurai. There was no way the test results could be bad. Every expert Aiba had ever read confirmed that the potency of the Connection was a sign of a high level of compatibility. Yet, with the sort of luck that had been following Aiba around for the last several years, it felt like there was almost room for some margin of error left especially for him. In any case, it would explain why Sakurai had been so difficult to deal with. So far, their level of interactions was almost nonexistent. And what if Sakurai was right…?

“Aiba,” Matsumoto called him from the door to his office, ready to see him now.

Aiba had held his breath all the way to Matsumoto’s office until he reached the seat across from his desk. Right then, he could think of nothing but to receive news that would explain the kind of Connection he had with Sakurai. 

“Before I proceed, I have to make a proper disclaimer,” Matsumoto announced, already holding the envelope that carried the test results. “The information Sakurai had provided for you was not at all complete, therefore I had to take my time to determine the rest of his astral data and complete his natal charts. It is my responsibility to mention I could not calibrate certain elements between you and him because of the absence of his information, but since this is only a compatibility test, I believe the data I was able to accumulate is enough for a valid prediction,” Matsumoto said, as Aiba’s heart rate had begun to race. He had not noticed how nervous he had become until this moment. “Now… the information you are about to receive is solely a calibration between your energies and this individual you experienced a Connection with. If you were to be unsatisfied with this information, I will gladly perform a test again, but I can only perform it a maximum of two times. There is no chance the percentage will change after that. It has not been proven that this percentage can be changed over time, but I always like to advise my clients to not lose hope in themselves,” Matsumoto gazed into Aiba’s eyes, making sure he had all of Aiba’s attention. “This number does not reflect your own value at all.” His words came out like those of a friend and he began to get a feeling that everything would be alright, no matter what.

Matsumoto handed Aiba the envelope. Aiba could only look at it, internalizing Matsumoto’s words. No matter the result, he wouldn't let this get him down or not keep trying. He believed in the ways of the cosmos and the paths that destiny traced for everyone. There was no way it could ever be wrong because Fate made no mistakes. 

Aiba studied the results in silence, taking his time to look through the numbers and percentages that lined up all the way to the bottom of the paper. Matsumoto gave him his time, aware that Aiba still needed a moment to take it all in. 

“What is the average?” Aiba suddenly asked, to which Matsumoto responded with a puzzled expression. “The average score of your predictions, what is it?”

Matsumoto could tell he must be having a hard time believing it. “It's 75%. Although that might change after yours.”

After reading it enough times that he could convince himself of the number, Aiba safely put the results back in the envelope. He gripped them strongly and close to his chest. No matter what happened, he couldn’t lose them. In them was all the proof he needed to convince Sakurai that what they had experienced was real. 

“Thank you, Jun,” Aiba picked himself up, not letting another second go to waste. “I couldn’t have done it without you.” Aiba’s words were filled with heartfelt feelings that fleeted the moment he left Matsumoto’s office. Matsumoto couldn’t be more glad of the excitement he found in Aiba’s eyes. Seeing the other’s happiness was all he needed to know he was doing the right thing, even if helping Aiba had been one of the most difficult things he’d had to do. 

~

“Sakurai!”

Among the students filling the hallway, Sho could hear his own name standing out from the chatter and commotions. Yet, the repetition of his name by such a particular voice made him want not to turn around and acknowledge him. The students walking to their next scheduled lectures certainly seemed to notice the voice was unmistakably addressing him, and the commotion Aiba kept raising wasn’t much help to draw their attention away.

Sakurai had no other choice but to stop on his track and wait for Aiba, who noisily made his way to his side. 

“I’m so glad… I found you,” Aiba was out of breath. “This university… is huge!”

“What are you doing here?” Sakurai asked in a lower voice.

“I need to talk to you. You have office hours now, right?”

“You expect me to see you right now? With no prior notice?”

“I promise it won't take long. Can we just… go somewhere private? Please?”

At any other time or any other circumstance, Sho would have refused. But seeing the other’s urgency to find him and talk to him at such an odd time made Sho think it would probably be too rude to expect him to go away. The eyes in the hallway surrounded them as if they could see the energies that flowed between them. Sho agreed, they needed their privacy.

~

Once they were safely hidden in Sakurai’s office, Aiba didn’t lose any time to hand Sakurai the envelope he carried with him. 

“What’s this?”

“Open it,” Aiba said, which left Sakurai no other choice than to find out for himself. 

The papers he unfolded were filled with charts and percentages he could not comprehend their use for. “Again, what is this?”

“It’s a compatibility test.”

“What!?” Sakurai’s shock came out in the tone of his voice. “How did you-”

“You said I could get my proof, so I did. Take a good look,” Aiba invited him.

Despite Sakurai’s initial anger, he decided to look through the papers Aiba had delivered to him himself. He had no experience determining which numbers showed positive or negative results, but he could tell they were abnormally high all the way through the end.

“Can you read the number at the very bottom for me?” Aiba asked.

Sakurai was staring at that very number, wondering if this was the number he had to fear the most. “92%.” 

“That’s our overall score,” Aiba said. “As a professor, I don’t think you need a conversion chart to figure that out.”

Sakurai set down the papers on his desk, not appearing pleased at all.

“What? Are you not convinced yet?” Aiba asked.

“This isn’t proof,” Sakurai spat. “This is just numbers some machine fabricated for you to pay the machine more.”

“Wait a minute!” Aiba finally had it with Sakurai’s attitude. “My Astrologist ran this data himself. He has never made a single mistake in his career. You told me to get proof, so I did! These are the written facts. We already saw the physical proof the moment we made our Connection-”

“But I also said you couldn’t change my mind. I knew you would get this kind of ‘proof.’ All you do is talk about the cosmos and the universe and Fate, but you haven’t even thought about yourself.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, are you pursuing me because you genuinely want to and not because some astral rock told you to?” Aiba was taken aback. He was about to throw arguments at Sakurai before the other spoke above him. “How can you even compare your feelings to the placement of some giant rocks in the sky, when you don’t even know me?” Each of Sakurai’s words made Aiba sink deeper into his seat. “I’m sorry if I come off as rude, but you can’t deny it.”

“Are you… not gay?” Aiba tried to understand.

“No, I- I am, I just think… it shouldn’t be that easy. And what you call proof… that doesn’t change it. You shouldn’t determine the value of a person because of some astral prediction.”

By the time Sakurai was done, his words had already silenced Aiba’s thoughts completely. The initial excitement that had overtaken him the moment he’d seen such outstanding results had been reduced to nothing by the rawness of Sakurai’s statements. Aiba refused to look at him, feeling that if he did, Sakurai would notice the redness of his eyes. Aiba simply got up on his feet, took the test results papers back and walked towards the door. 

“I’m sorry I wasted your time.” He hesitated for just a second before he shut the door behind him.

Aiba walked down the hallways quickly, wishing the crowd of students would get out of his way. The test results in his hand were becoming crumpled by the strength of his fist. He felt like he could breathe once again when he found the open air of the campus, sitting on a lonely bench under the shadow of a tree. Aiba had never felt so furious at someone before, even when his own employees over at the company made mistakes. But Sakurai’s words had become something he couldn’t forgive. Why was it that he had to be involved with someone so difficult? What exactly was Fate planning for him by putting him through all of this?

Aiba leaned his head back and closed his eyes to calm himself down. The large shadows of the tree branches above his head allowed for a small breeze to blow his way. Earth was the element he would always go to feel like himself again, but now, it was hard to see what he would do next. Sakurai clearly didn’t want to be bothered anymore and insisting much further would just leave a bad impression of him, so what? What now?

The bells of the University tower chimed to mark the hour. Students exited the classroom buildings and flooded the campus open spaces. Aiba looked around him, from the students that were by themselves to the students that appeared to be in groups or in couples, and how they were all connected. Putting themselves out there and risking themselves to reach an unexpected Connection with each other. It was through their interaction with each other that they could find one another, brought together by the crossing of their destined paths. They all had a fated place they needed to fill, so why shouldn’t he also try to make it happen?

~

Sakurai finished yet another class for that last week of introductory lessons and he bid farewell to each of his new students as he invited them to read through the syllabus for their next assignment. He was putting his own things away when he noticed one student was left behind in the classroom, surely wanting to ask him about something. Distracted, he did not take a good look at him until he stood right across his desk, but even then he was confused as to why he had come back again.

“The only reason I would assume you would be here is to return something of mine that I have dropped by any chance?”

“Nope, I’m here to take your class,” Aiba responded.

“You’re not being serious.” Sakurai looked straight into his eyes for any signs of a lie.

Aiba searched in his pocket and pulled out his own student I.D. for Sakurai to see, showing him just how serious he was. 

“If this is what it’ll take to get you to notice me, then I’ll try.”

“Aiba, there are other students enrolled in this class and they expect to learn from my course.”

“I know, I will too. I didn't just come here to fool around. I need to fight for my grades too. I’m sorry for missing some of your first lessons but don’t worry, I’ll catch up. Or at least, I’ll do my best, professor.” Aiba shared a smile with him before turning away and walking out of the classroom, a satisfied grin drawn on his lips after seeing Sakurai’s reaction. 

Sakurai, on the other hand, couldn’t yet read what the other’s efforts meant and now there were questions forming in his head which he meant to understand in his own way.

~

_ “Sakurai Sho… I was certainly not expecting your call.” _

“Hey… can you talk right now?”

_ “Well, I answered so you better consider yourself lucky.” _

“I need a favor from you. Do you still run compatibility tests?”

_ “What? Are you seriously asking me this? Sho, I retired from that crazy business, I’m an entertainer now.” _

“Are you saying you can’t do it or you won’t?”

_ “.... It depends.” _

Sakurai sighed. “Of course, I’ll pay you.”

_ “Now we’re talking business! But I must warn you, getting predictions from me doesn't come cheap.” _

“Fine… You’re the only one I trust with this, Nino.”

_ “I’m flattered, but don’t think I’ll give you any discounts just because we are friends. So… who is this compatibility test for?” _

“A man called Aiba Masaki… and myself.”

Ninomiya chuckled through the line.  _ “It’s sort of a miracle to see you ask for a compatibility test. Anyone I know?” _

“No. Just… keep it to yourself. Did you write it down?”

_ “Aiba Masaki, right? I got it.” _

“I’ll send you my astral record in a moment. Can you get it done for this week?”

_ “I could… but it’s going to cost you extra.” _

“Just… get it done.” Sakurai hung up. 

  
  
  



	4. Gemini

Sakurai had yet no reason to believe Aiba was being serious. He would see him coming into his classroom each morning, not a second late and with better attendance than the majority of his class, but it was hard to believe Aiba was truly committed. Aiba sat in the furthest seat of the auditorium, handwriting his notes. At times, it was easy to see who was really paying attention to his lectures by the amount of time they would spend staring at their phones, but Sakurai would never catch Aiba doing such a thing. 

On one occasion, Aiba’s phone had gone off in the middle of a lecture and he’d silenced it right away before he silently apologized for interrupting. Sakurai would think he would step out, considering he had mentioned being a CEO and his phone must have easily been flooded with messages of people working under him, but he did nothing of the sort in Sakurai’s class. As soon as he crossed the doors into Sakurai’s classroom, he would leave behind all previous conceptions of him being a man in the business world, and he would blend in with the rest of Sakurai’s students, to the point that he would even see him interact with others after lectures. 

Sakurai found it odd that Aiba wouldn’t do as much to interact with him after class, when he was the apparent reason Aiba was doing any of this at all. The most Sakurai got to interact with him for the following weeks to come was whenever they handed in their homework, and even then the most he would get out of that exchange was a small meeting of their gazes before Aiba would retreat back to his chair at the very end of the room. 

It was hard to guess what Aiba was trying to achieve with just being present in his History lecture, but, as Sakurai had already learned by now, nothing would get him to give up. 

By the time Ninomiya had contacted Sakurai again, it had been nearly more than a whole month. For Sakurai, this surely meant Ninomiya couldn’t charge him extra and he could save himself some money before the other would wipe him and leave him completely poor. Ninomiya had asked for their meeting to be in secret, and the most Sakurai could pull off was renting a private room in a restaurant. He knew Ninomiya would complain at his tacky attempt to seem professional. For Ninomiya, Sakurai would always be that kid from their childhood that made himself seem like he had his life figured out, but only Sakurai’s true friends knew how soft-shelled he was deep inside. 

Ninomiya arrived late, as always, styling a mask, sunglasses and a cap to keep his identity from being recognized. Since his TV show,  _ Nino-san  _ had become such a big sensation, there was no way to get Nino down from his fame cloud.

They partook of their meal before Ninomiya handed Sakurai the sealed envelope with the compatibility test results. Sakurai didn’t wait to open them and look through the results.

“Bet you’re as shocked as I was,” Ninomiya spoke between bites of his meal. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a test coming back with those marks. As expected of the great scholar Sakurai Sho.”

Sakurai ignored him, as he found the final score in Ninomiya’s results summed up to 93%. 1% higher than the results he’d seen from Aiba. So it wasn’t a lie…

“Who is this lucky guy you’re dating? Anyone, I know?” Ninomiya began. 

Sakurai put away the results into their envelope again before continuing with his meal, taking his time and letting Ninomiya’s question hang in the air unattended. “... He is a student.”

“What? Really? … I didn’t think you had it in ya.”

“He’s a grown man, don’t be gross.” 

“Hey, I’m not judging, especially if it’s true love.”

“It’s-…” Sakurai took a deep breath before letting himself be worked up by Ninomiya’s assumptions. “I’m not going out with him.”

Ninomiya frowned at him. “You’re kidding, right? Didn’t you read that score I just gave you?” Sakurai looked unbothered, pretending as if the matter was already off the table. “Sho, I know you’re a nerd and all, but this,” Ninomiya waved the envelope in front of him. “This is the real world! No one scores an ‘A’ minus and shoves it under the rug.”

“Nino, you know what I think about this stuff.”

“And yet you still wanted to run the test so badly you would pay me half your salary to do it?”

Sakurai shot him a look. “There was something I wanted to verify myself, but I had no intention to act on it. Either way, I’m paying you in installments.”

Ninomiya rolled his eyes at him, always trying to take the fun out of things. And yet there were many things about this other man that still piqued his curiosity. “So… I noticed this guy’s name seemed sort of familiar. Are you sure this isn’t some common friend of our’s?”

“No,” Sakurai responded drily. 

“Really? Cause I swear I must have heard about an Aiba family somewhere before.”

“I wouldn't know.”

“Well… there was a complete match when I looked him up. Aiba Masaki, right? Isn’t it that guy from the Foliage Company?” 

“Nino…”

“Oh come on! You expect me not to figure it out? Who doesn’t know Foliage? Their brand is everywhere. It’d be stupid of you to expect me not to notice.”

He was right. Sakurai should have expected Ninomiya not to respect the privacy of his affairs and it was now on him that Nino would want to know more. He had always been quite an insatiable person. 

“What’s the sudden interest with this guy anyway? I thought you hated the rich world.”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Would you stop acting so high and might for once? It’s not like I’m telling anyone about this,” Ninomiya said, for once not a trace of mockery in his voice. “Just trust me.”

Even if he didn’t have the best character, Ninomiya had always been a close friend to Sakurai, one that had been with him for all his young life and someone he could go back to no matter how much time they would spend apart. Ninomiya was the only one willing to understand Sakurai, and he had to attribute that to Ninomiya’s natural talents as an Astrologist. Although now he had dropped the scientific terms to pursue a much more public and profitable life in show business, it was still the same Ninomiya he had always known. 

Sakurai gave in. There was too much he was holding back and not enough people to talk to about it. “There was a Connection... Well… I wouldn’t even know. It’s hard to explain. We touched, but it was a total accident. After that, he just wouldn’t get over it and he insisted on meeting me again.”

“Well… he  _ is  _ a Capricorn. They can be quite ambitious.”

“Not much later, he returned with a compatibility test with these… abnormal numbers and I didn’t get it. I thought he must have made it up.”

“I understand, it would be weird if I saw those numbers from someone else. Especially with your sun signs. They are quite the unbalanced combo, but I think what really did it for you guys was your zodiac animal. You’re both dogs so your loyalty to each other is outstanding.”

“Anyways…” Sakurai tried to remind him he had no real interest in his predictions. “He keeps coming back and apparently now I’m teaching him history. One way or another, he has made it so that I see him almost periodically, but it’s not like he is making any moves at me, he is just… there.”

“That’s… really clever,” Ninomiya admitted. Sakurai was confused at what he meant and insisted that he would explain himself. “Certainly, he is playing mind tricks with you. The more you see him, the more you think about him. He doesn’t have to do any work while you break your head trying to figure out why he’s in the back of your mind all the time. It’s simple psychology. That’s one determined Capricorn.”

“So he is fooling around with me?” Sakurai felt stupid for letting his own thoughts be manipulated by the likes of Aiba. He’d surely let him play around with him long enough.

“He may also just have a major crush on you, who knows? I’d say you go for it.” Nino took a swig from his beer.

Sakurai was baffled at Ninomiya’s suggestion. “I’m sorry, have you not listened to anything I’ve been saying?” 

“Look, Sho, before you go into another tangent on how Fate hates you or whatever, I should remind you that it’s been years since then,” Ninomiya spoke of what Sakurai didn’t want to remember. “Your fortune has changed. Completely! There is no correlation from how your life was back then to how it is right now, so what’s so wrong with accepting you hit gold for once? You can take this one prediction for yourself and just screw the rest of the cosmic readings. How else do you think people in the business become popular? They give people what they want to hear and avoid really bad details.”

“You out of all people should know it is never that easy.” Sakurai was already tired of repeating himself. 

“Okay, sure, but hear me out. Let’s just say, hypothetically, just this once… what if it was? Would you try and deny yourself of that good fortune just the same?” Ninomiya said, and it left the other without words to refute. 

Sakurai had no intention to get any advice out of Ninomiya, but he couldn't help but feel he’d just walked out of a session with his Astrologist. And, if there was really anyone who could call themselves his Astrologist, it was certainly Ninomiya. Unfortunately, Ninomiya’s biggest flaw relied on having the compulsive behavior to tell people what to do with their own lives and thinking his own way of living was the only way. 

Sakurai couldn’t be as daring as him. He had set his own visions in life that he was not planning on disrupting now. But he couldn’t say this to Ninomiya, because he knew the other would respond with his typical eye roll and some witty comment, attributing his personality traits to his zodiac sign. Unfortunately, this was not how Sakurai viewed things and, although it was hard to accept for someone like Aiba, he eventually would have to understand. 

~

That next course week was the first time Aiba was absent. Suddenly his streak of good attendance had been broken early on a Wednesday morning. Sakurai had expected it to happen at any time, yet the current timing of it seemed sudden. He remembered Aiba coming to class that previous Monday and even participating in class discussions. At his exit, he had asked Sakurai about their midterm paper and moved on, proceeding with what felt like a silent treatment that was too complicated for Sakurai to grasp. There was no indication that Aiba was giving up or becoming bored with his class, which meant his absence that morning was unprecedented. But he was a businessman after all, and he had nothing to do with taking History classes at such a moment in his life. If anything, he could imagine Aiba getting scolded for not giving his full attention to his company and fooling around at the University, taking credits he didn’t even need. 

Sakurai snapped back to reality when he realized it was several minutes past his class’ starting time and he had yet to commence his lecture. He was doing it again, letting Aiba get to his head. He quickly shoved the distractions aside and proceeded to do his work. But before he could even call upon his students' attention, his phone had begun to vibrate over his desk, an unknown number being shown on its screen. As it was an unknown caller, Sakurai declined the call and put his phone away in his pocket to finally begin today’s discussion.

It was a surprisingly productive class with the exception of his phone vibrating in his pocket every 10 minutes and serving as a persistent distraction. He did his best to attempt to mute the vibrating sound with the sound of his own voice, but it seemed useless when the calls kept coming in. He had to excuse himself from his students to take out his phone and see who was calling; again that unregistered number. Sakurai declined the call once again and turned off his phone this time so he could concentrate back on his lecture. A thought in the back of his mind suspected the call had something to do with the empty seat at the back of his classroom. 

~

Aiba finished with his reunion the second his class had already ended. His early meeting in Foliage had taken longer than he expected and he couldn’t excuse himself or say he needed to leave during their talks. Most of the people in the company didn’t even know Aiba had started going to University courses, with the exception of Ohno, to whom Aiba told everything.

His first absence in the class came as no surprise though. According to Matsumoto’s Luck Calendar, his energies were at an all-time low, so things weren’t supposed to go his way today, to begin with. Aiba still decided to try and make it to the campus and see Sakurai that day, regardless of the possibility of it not being a fruitful encounter. He would still need his help to catch up on what he’d missed that day.

Aiba was about to knock on Sakurai’s office when the door swung open abruptly, startling Aiba when the other emerged from the other side, almost not noticing Aiba and nearly clashing into him as he walked out. 

Sakurai seemed in such a hurry that Aiba had to take a step back to not collide with him. “Hey… Sorry, I kind of got here late.” 

Sakurai stared at the other with a blank expression before he could internalize that Aiba had spoken to him. “T-That’s okay…”

“Are you busy right now? I had some questions about today’s lesson I-”

“I-It’s fine… don’t mind it,” Sakurai trembled, walking past Aiba and not sparing him another second of his time. Sakurai walked off, disregarding Aiba’s presence there entirely. Something about him seemed odd at plain sight. As Sakurai walked past him, Aiba thought he could see the sweat of his forehead and the paleness of his skin. 

“Are you okay?” Aiba had to ask as he saw Sakurai walk down the History department hall slightly disoriented before stopping. “Sakurai?”

Aiba noticed him gripping his phone tightly, but his hand trembled, with sweat setting in his palms. “Aiba I… I don’t have time for this.”

“What’s wrong?” Aiba had caught how strange he was acting. “What happened?”

“I… I have to go-”

“Where?” Aiba insisted on getting an answer out of him. “Where are you going?”

“I... I need to get to the hospital.” The worried look in his eyes started to make sense. 

“I can take you there,” Aiba quickly responded.

“N-No, I… you don’t have to-”

“Sakurai,” Aiba walked closer to him before he would insist any further. “Let me help you,” Aiba said calmly, looking into his eyes, seeing the distress that had made him almost paralyzed. He knew he wouldn’t admit he needed help now, but Aiba wouldn’t let him go without it. Meanwhile, Sakurai questioned himself if this was really the time to close himself up once again and pretend he could handle everything on his own. But he didn’t need to look too deeply into that when the answer was being offered to him right there, and he wondered why it was so hard to accept it. 

Eventually, Sakurai let himself be guided by Aiba to the University parking lot, where Aiba’s motorcycle was parked in his own reserved spot. Sakurai looked horrified as Aiba got on the vintage-styled bike. Its matte black paint and seats made out of black leather with three headlights in the front and high handlebars made the vehicle look massive.

“What’s wrong? Hop on.”

“I thought you had a car or… a driver,” Sakurai complained.

“I always ride my bike here. It’s easier to beat traffic this way,” Aiba put in his keys and the motor vibrated loudly and with a strong roar. “You’re not scared, are you?” Aiba asked, but it was more of a taunt to convince Sakurai to try and squeeze himself in the back of the seat. He’d never ridden anything not resembling a car, but Aiba didn’t have to know that.

“How am I supposed to hang on?” Sakurai asked, trying to speak louder than the muffler that almost muted their voices. 

“Usually the passenger has to hold on to the driver,” Aiba teased him.

Sakurai felt the situation was completely absurd. He resolved to hold on to the back of Aiba’s leathery jacket and keep a safe distance between them, yet the authentic leather posed a challenge to grip. The moment Aiba accelerated, almost without warning, Sakurai nearly lost his balance; he had to wrap his arms around Aiba’s torso so as not to fall off his seat. For long seconds, he had closed his eyes, not wanting to see how fast the ground below them was moving. Forgetting all previous notions of a gap, he strengthened his grip around Aiba to not be taken away by the wind. Shortly enough, Aiba patted his hands warningly, asked him to loosen his grip, as he’d apparently been suffocating the other. 

Sakurai did just as told, holding on to Aiba with a reasonable amount of strength, and even daring to open his eyes and look around slightly, though the wind wouldn’t allow him to see much of the streets they passed by. In any case, as long as they got to their destination in time, he would do whatever he could.

~

As soon as they arrived at the hospital and Aiba dropped him off at the main entrance, Sakurai rushed to the reception. Aiba thought it was best not to ask too many questions or else he could jeopardize the progress he had made with Sakurai. It was better to let things roll out as they came, regardless of how unprecedented they may seem. He just hoped everything was okay and that the worried look in Sakurai’s eyes would be washed away.

It was jarring to find Sakurai in such a state. He couldn’t stop thinking of how he nearly didn’t make it to the University just a little while ago, how he almost went back home and forgot about the lecture. But something had kept him from not seeing Sakurai. He couldn’t stop thinking about that bad luck that marked today’s date in his Luck Calendar all morning, wondering how it would present itself. He feared that, in a way, he could lose Sakurai to it.

For that same reason, Aiba didn’t want to leave. After parking his bike, he walked into the main hospital entrance and chose a seat in the large waiting area filled with visitors. It was the central hospital connected with Keio’s medical program. Rated one of the top hospitals in the province, their service didn’t come cheap, but as Aiba had already learned, this must have been a quite serious situation for Sakurai.

~

“Aiba… Aiba.”

He jumped awake, startled by the soft voice that brought him back to the hospital reception. The constant buzzing of the building had caused him to doze off. He should really be watching over his sleep patterns now that he had classes and work at the company. Aiba straightened himself in his chair. His neck was killing him, but he wouldn’t let it seem like it bothered him in front of Sakurai, not while he was more concerned about the other.

“I thought you left already,” Sakurai said. 

“It didn’t seem right to just leave,” Aiba rubbed the back of his neck. “Are you okay?” He asked right away. Sakurai only responded with a nod and a sigh. 

He took a seat next to Aiba and leaned back, probably exhausted by all the rush of the last few hours. “Thank you for bringing me,” Sakurai finally uttered.

“No problem,” Aiba would have done far more and he still wouldn’t mind.

Aiba gave Sakurai his space before he would ask anything. He knew he couldn’t pressure the other or else he would lose him. Yet, he couldn’t help but feel somewhat calm that Sakurai would sit next to him at a time like this. For whatever it may be, Aiba was ready and willing to listen to him. 

“Sorry if I scared you before,” Sakurai began. “I thought I wouldn’t make it.”

“There’s no need to say sorry, ” Aiba said.

“Not a lot of people would have helped me as you did. In fact… I don’t think any of the people I know would have helped without thinking it twice. And I know it sounds like I’m exaggerating, but it’s because of that that I’ve sort of learned to make my own way without depending on anyone else. But you probably know that already.” Sakurai’s look fell, a little embarrassed nonetheless. “I don’t have many contacts with my family either. I sort of… cut them off. But… if there is anyone I would do anything for, it is definitely my mother.” 

Aiba listened in silence as Sakurai opened himself to him for the very first time.

“She is the only one who has never questioned every decision in my life. I don’t have to explain to her why I decided to take my distance or why I followed the profession that I’m in. It’s all… so very simple with her. As long as I’m her son, there is no wrong that I could ever do in her eyes.” The smile that was drawn in his lips by the thought of his mother faded as his next words came. 

“I thought I would lose her today. Over the phone… They said she collapsed. A heart attack apparently. I didn’t know what to expect, I knew I might have been too late. But when I walked into the room, she was awake, all smiling and happy to see me. For her, it was as if nothing had happened, but I know… she just didn’t want me to worry, but how could I not? When I could have lost the only person I have in my life.”

His words trailed off, the fear of what could have happened if Fate had taken a different turn settling inside of him, and, for a moment, Aiba understood. The effect of the cruelties of Destiny and how it can fall upon a soul became visible in Sakurai. His appearance resembled that of a man who had taken the arduous paths of life, someone Destiny had come at with full strength and had barely left standing, someone who had no way of telling apart the lucky days from the unlucky ones. Aiba understood why he would not allow himself to rely on such “unpredictable” things as Fate and the forces of the cosmos. For someone who had seen enough of the bad sides of Fate, how could he ever believe it would ever be different?

Once Sakurai’s initial fear had eased and calmed down, he stood up from his chair, decided to go back and see his mother again. “You don’t have to stay here, you know,” he said.

“Aren’t you going to need a ride home?” Aiba asked him.

“No, I think I’m staying. I can’t leave like this.”

“But they won’t let you stay in her room overnight. Where will you sleep?”

“You were sleeping just fine here a few moments ago,” Sakurai joked, although Aiba was not kidding.

“No, but I mean… you don’t even have a fresh set of clothes on you. You’ll need to get rest if you want to take care of her in the morning. There is no need to make it harder on yourself.” Sakurai didn’t respond. He was willing to figure it out along the way, but Aiba had his own suggestion for him. “Come stay at my place. You can shower and sleep there, and the bus stop is just minutes away, it’ll drop you off here in just a few stops.” Although Aiba had made that bold suggestion, he was especially nervous about the response of the other.

Sho was not sure what to say. He really had no plan made up at the moment, but taking advantage of Aiba seemed almost unfair. “I don’t want to bother you with any of this.”

“You’re not bothering me,” Aiba reassured him. “If anything… I wish you would bother me more.”

Aiba’s words had certainly carried more meaning than what Sakurai was willing to explore right then, but he knew Aiba was right. He had no reason to worry his mother further by staying, and seeing her fighting spirit had certainly reassured him that she would be alright. Moreover, he’d already learned it wouldn’t be possible to decline Aiba's kindness. 

~

Aiba offered Sakurai to take him to his own apartment and get a spare of clothes before they would get to Aiba’s place. Sakurai had momentarily forgotten he had to get on Aiba’s motorcycle for a second and third time that day as he’d already decided he would not repeat the experience again, but he had no other choice after he’d already accepted staying with Aiba. Though, at the moment, he was having a hard time deciding which idea was crazier, riding a motorcycle for the first time, or staying with the man who insisted on their romantic compatibility.

He shouldn’t have been surprised that Aiba lived in the penthouse of a five-story apartment in the middle of Tokyo. The moment he stepped inside, Sakurai thought Aiba had taken him to a suite in a 5-star hotel. His living room was about the size of his own apartment, and he felt embarrassed that Aiba had even seen it just a few moments ago when he picked up his things to spend the night.

Aiba showed him to his own room and private bathroom. It was a whole area quite secluded from Aiba’s own room so he would have all the privacy he needed. Sakurai appreciated that he wouldn’t have to bump into Aiba between his room and the bathroom and they would just have to share the kitchen and the living room, which seemed fair enough. 

Aiba announced he would be preparing them a meal and invited Sakurai to take a shower. By then, Sakurai was surprised that Aiba didn’t have his own cook and he couldn’t help but wonder what was the point in living in such a large place if he was on his own. For sure he would have to hire help to keep the place tidy and clean, but then was it really necessary to own so much and have no one but yourself? No wonder Aiba was so impatient to find a companion. 

When Sakurai stepped into the kitchen freshly out of the warm shower, he saw Aiba in the living room, sitting on the floor and working on his laptop on top of the coffee table, completely disregarding the large sofa that seemed more comfortable. 

“Food’s on the table,” Aiba spoke across the room, his attention not leaving his laptop. “There’s some beer in the fridge if you like.”

Sakurai followed the aroma to the food that was neatly served for him; a bowl of steaming white rice, steamed vegetables, three slices of fine cut beef and miso soup. Sakurai couldn't even recall the last time he’d had such a nicely prepared home-cooked meal, and he wondered if Aiba wasn’t actually from a family of cooks. 

Sakurai helped himself to one of those beers Aiba had offered as he feasted through his dinner. For a moment, he wondered if Aiba was not going to eat, but the other was glued to his laptop. For sure, after spending his day sitting in a hospital reception, he must have fallen behind on some work. It was not like Sakurai had asked him to waste his day so selflessly, yet he was sure Aiba would insist he didn’t mind. It was hard to imagine someone like him was running an entire company for his family, let alone successfully. The business world was too cruel to allow selfless people to stand on their own. Yet again, there was so much he didn’t know about Aiba, it was wrong to assume the type of person he was at work.

During his class, Aiba was always critical and curious, never jumping to conclusions without facts being set in place first. His attitude had gotten him to be the first of the class, even if he hadn't realized it yet. Then again, he was the oldest of all of his students taking his course, so for Aiba, there was really no time to waste. But even Sakurai had to admit Aiba shined the brightest when he spoke of astrology. There hadn’t been many opportunities, but Aiba had brought up some facts about astrology when it seemed pertinent and the rest of his students would listen to him in fascination. Suddenly, the whole class’ attention would shift to Aiba’s seat at the end of the classroom, and several questions would rise from the rest of the students for Aiba. It was only natural for people their age, they would feel curiosity towards the cosmic theories as they got to understand more of themselves, but for Sakurai that was something he’d given up on a long time ago.

Even after Sakurai was done with his meal, Aiba continued working on his laptop on the living room floor. His plates of eaten food were placed on the coffee table and Sakurai picked them up to wash them himself. It was the least he could do to thank him for the food. He was finishing his beer when he finally approached Aiba.

“What are you up to?”

Aiba looked up slightly and Sakurai could tell his eyes had not rested for even a second. “Well, I was working, but now I’m trying to figure out my midterm paper. My professor was not very clear with his instructions.”

“Really?” Sakurai raised an eyebrow at him. “Maybe because I’m not assigning that until next week.”

“I know, but I need to prepare in case they need me down at the company for the whole week. Foliage stores are releasing their spring items and I need to supervise the whole thing.”

As he thought, Aiba was always thinking two steps ahead. Of course, he was not just another one of his freshmen students, he was a full-grown professional. But it was a refreshing sight to see that he was taking his course with the utmost sincerity, even if his intentions were much different than the rest of his students. Hopefully, Aiba wasn’t just doing all of this to impress him.

Sakurai eventually joined Aiba on the floor, placing his beer can on the coffee table. “Show me what you have so far.”

They spent long minutes going over Aiba’s notes and his proposal for the paper while Sakurai gave him some pointers to consider. His theme was mostly vague and he still needed to narrow down his ideas so it wouldn’t turn out too long, but he was nearly getting around it. 

As expected, he wanted to link his term paper with astrology, and even though Sakurai couldn’t provide him much help on how to do it, he trusted Aiba had it figured out. 

“Maybe I should talk about Kepler…” Aiba scratched his head. 

They were already on their second beer and he couldn’t tell how sleepiness was not kicking in for Aiba yet.

“What does he have to do with any of this?” Sakurai asked.

“I was thinking of him defining the orbit of the planets and their motions. Present-day astrology looks into his models to define the energies that flow in our own bodies through his Law of Harmony.”

“But how does that relate to the discussion?” Sakurai was still trying to understand, or maybe Aiba had already mentioned it but Sakurai was too tipsy to tell.

“Don’t you remember? He is one of the great astronomers of the 17th century and helped lead the scientific revolution of that time.” Sho made a knowing gesture as Aiba enlightened him. To be honest, he didn’t remember Kepler being part of that list of leading figures, but who was he to doubt it? “Are you bad with physical sciences?” Aiba almost made fun of him.

“There is a reason I’m a History teacher,” Sakurai responded.

“Well, it was through ancient Greek history that we found the first recording of the constellations. Though it has been proven the very first ones to observe them were probably the Babylonians, we have no recorded history of it. Back then, constellations were the representation of their own Gods, the entities that controlled their lives and the universe. You should at least know that much. Astrology owes everything to history. It’s all connected, like the souls in the universe.”

“Can I ask you something?” Sakurai said suddenly. It was not every day that he could get to speak to someone as deeply invested in Astrology teachings without having to charge a fee for their time. “And I do mean I want to hear your own opinion.”

“Um… Sure!” Aiba had not expected to be quizzed at that time, but he still wanted to respond to Sakurai’s curiosity.

“Everyone talks about Fate mostly as an absolute authority, but what about people that have unfortunate fates? Wouldn’t that be almost like a punishment? Is Fate even something that is known for being punishing?”

Aiba was certainly taken aback by his question and it was hard to come up with an answer for him right away, but he tried to collect his thoughts as diligently as possible. It was strange to imagine something like that being in Sakurai’s concerns, so a clear answer was more important than ever. “Well… Fate is not from that same category of predictive tools like horoscopes. It’s more of an order to which we relate our personal fortunes. All in all, it is not a system to which we link our misfortunes.”

“But what do  _ you _ think?” Sakurai asked again as he was able to read through Aiba’s carefully chosen words.

Aiba was lost on how to respond as he was holding back on misinforming Sakurai, but he knew the kind of answer the other was searching for. “I think... it might be a paradox.”

“So astrology chooses not to know that Fate can also be corrupt?”

“It’s... a much cruder way to see it and there is not enough proof to deny it, but a lot of people prefer to attribute those unfortunate ends to negative energies that obstruct our paths. It really is just arbitrary.”

“You’re saying there is no way of knowing if bad things happen through our own faults?”

“Not at all. You can’t really predict when something is going to go wrong. If so, we would be able to decipher the mystery of our imminent ends, but that is one of the three secrets of our existence. Our energies are probably what comes closest to determining our luck, but it’s like getting a yes or no answer. It’s impossible to tell how destructive it can become. We can predict the stars and the planets, we can’t predict the future.”

“So what is readable of the stars and planets becomes part of us, is that part of a higher truth?” Sakurai asked.

“It is! The energies of their motions are what influences us the most. They are our guide to figuring out our human connections with what surrounds us.”

“And does that connection always have to mean attraction?”

Aiba hesitated for a clear second, beginning to understand where Sakurai was coming from. “Um… not necessarily… but it is a way of knowing that it could be.”

“Then… who really determines our Connection is even love related?” Sakurai asked.

Aiba couldn’t tell why but it stung his chest to know Sakurai was questioning himself about such things. "That's pretty much common knowledge... When you connect with someone, it signifies the alignment of your souls.” As Aiba spoke, he noticed the look that took over Sakurai’s expression was a troubled one. Perhaps one that was not happy to hear Aiba’s answers for him. “But… I guess... there is a possibility for it to signify other things.” Aiba’s voice trailed off. He didn’t want to tell lies, but who was to say that was all the truth there was? He had known of people with potential Connections just being friends and handling good platonic relationships. It didn't always have to be romantic, but what would that mean for them?

“Just like there are many ways to apply a prediction into an aspect of your life, it could happen with the Connections. I wouldn’t know for sure though. I don’t think I’ve gotten that far into figuring it out. I only know how it interconnects with a general prediction, not with… love.” 

“So… is it not possible to determine?”

“It definitely is, I just… don’t have the tools to determine something like that.”

“I see…” Sakurai’s questions ceased, although it was clear to see his doubts persisted. Aiba only wished he could help him get the answers he needed.

“Wait here, I’ll be right back,” Aiba got on his feet and ran down the hall towards his room. Sakurai lost sight of him for a moment before he saw him return with a handful of books in his arms. He set them down on the coffee table, moving his laptop aside to make way for them. 

“It might be possible to evaluate your life prediction and relate that prediction with a trace of romantic aspect. It might not be the best way to do it, but it could work. Is that… something you would like to do?”

“You can read predictions?” Sakurai asked.

“I’m self-taught so I can’t certify anything, but I can definitely try.” Aiba opened his books and quickly started to look through them. They were mostly old and worn out, but covered with highlighted paragraphs in diverse colors and scribbles at the edge of the pages. “I can do a written oracle for you. The prediction will look over 3 aspects of your life. Past, present and future. Their specificity will be medium so they will be quite general but you can attribute it to any aspect or moment of your past, present or future.”

“And this is supposed to help determine the condition of our Connection?” Sakurai asked.

“If you choose to attribute your prediction towards it, yes,” Aiba responded, most confident.

Sakurai wasn’t too sure what he was getting himself wrapped into, but he didn’t have to think much about it. They were just fooling around and the alcohol was too into his system to stop it anytime soon. 

“I know you’re a Dog-Aquarius Wind type with an ascendant in Sagittarius,” Sho was surprised Aiba had it all memorized, but Aiba didn’t make much fuzz about how he’d learned it so quickly. “Your Moon is in Capricorn… your Planet is Uranus…” Aiba was thinking out loud and he scribbled down on the edge of his book. The answers were aligning for him little by little as he went back and forth between the pages of his book until he’d found all the right ones to read from. In no time, his prediction was lined out, as if he’d done no work at all.

“Shall we do present first and you can tell me if it’s accurate or not?” Aiba offered. Sakurai accepted. Either way, it didn't mean much to him. “Clear your mind and make sure you’re thinking of what aspect of your life you want to attribute this reading to,” Aiba said.

Sakurai decided to follow along with Aiba’s instructions, having nothing to lose. “So… for Present it says,  _ The turmoils of your mind that keep you from looking forward, begin to take a turn inside you. A change of perspective will help you understand that which you fear the most.”  _

Aiba knew he should not comment on it and just let the words settle in Sakurai. He would be the only one who could accept the readings being true or not, despite having such a heavy undertone to them. “Shall I read the next one? We can do Future next, that one is always more fun.”

“Sure,” Sakurai responded, not thinking it could be any worse than that.

“Future says,  _ A path of learning lies before you. That which seemed to have wronged you becomes a world of possibilities. The answers are at the end. _ ” When Aiba read, he noticed Sakurai’s expression becoming troubled.

Sakurai remained in silence, becoming lost in the readings that were too broad to apply into his life and yet strangely resonated deeply in his thoughts.

“For your Past it says,  _ Allow yourself to let go of those bad moments and you’ll see what you’ve been missing. _ ” 

Sakurai scoffed right then. It was ridiculous to think anyone would take any of those readings seriously. He surely couldn't comprehend how Aiba would let himself be guided by such manipulative beliefs. ‘ _ Bad moments, _ ’ he said? He really had no idea what he was talking about. What good would a book do in trying to decipher his life? It was a joke only made to irritate him.

“We can leave it there for now…” Aiba closed his book as Sakurai refused to say another word about his readings, and judging by Sakurai’s hardened expression, Aiba felt like he’d done something wrong. After all, he shouldn't have tried to get something so intimate as a reading out of him. He should have known to listen to Sakurai’s signs and not get too carried away with it. “I might need some more practice. I’m not a professional after all.” Aiba tried making excuses just to save his skin, but it didn’t seem like it was going to work. The damage had already been done and that trust he’d once established with Sakurai was already fractured.

The living room felt tense as if the energies that once coursed through the room had become heavier and slightly suffocating. It wasn’t until Sakurai got on his feet that the dreadful silence of the room broke. 

“I’m heading to bed. I need to be up early tomorrow,” Sakurai said. The readings had already become a thing of the past for him. “You should rest too.” Sakurai walked away, retreating to the guest bedroom, ready to put an end to his night. 

“Sakurai,” Aiba called him before he would be lost out of sight. Sakurai listened although Aiba didn’t think he had the courage to say what he wanted to. “Do you need me to pick you up from the hospital tomorrow?” He couldn’t think of anything else to say that wouldn't harm the energies between them further. 

“No, I’ll just take the bus back,” Sakurai politely declined.

“Sakurai,” Aiba called him once again. As always, he was not giving up. “You can count on me for anything, you know that.”

The other let the silence answer him, refusing to accept Aiba’s kindness for much longer. “Good night,” Sakurai answered as he got away.

Aiba should have known better.

~

Sakurai was already out of the apartment early in the morning, Aiba had no chance to see him leave or even apologize for the previous night. He had a feeling Sakurai would be mad with him or that he would try to avoid him as much as possible from now on. Aiba tried not to let it get him down throughout his day at work, but it was almost impossible to wash away the angered look that was hidden in Sakurai’s eyes that night. Aiba just hoped Fate would help him make it better or else all of his efforts to get closer to Sakurai would have been lost. 

As Aiba attended his weekly meetings with each department of Foliage, he received a call marked as ‘ _ Sakurai _ .’ His name on the screen quickly drew him away from all that was happening before him and he had to excuse himself with Ohno to step out for a brief moment. 

He let the call ring just long enough; he couldn’t make it seem as if he’d been anticipating to speak with him although it was the truth. Aiba became nervous just imagining the reason for his sudden call; was he thinking about last night as much as him? Did he want to put it behind them? Aiba was ready to do anything if it would only give him a ray of hope that he had not been pushed further apart from the other’s trust. 

Excited, Aiba answered the call with his most neutral voice. “Hello?”

“ _ It’s me, _ ” Sakurai spoke. “ _ I hope I am not interrupting anything _ .”

“Not at all, what’s up?” Aiba pretended Ohno’s eyes weren’t watching him from inside the conference room through the glass walls.

“ _I just remembered something,_ ” Sakurai’s voice was low and deep as if he were hiding his conversation from whoever was around him. “ _And I know this might be sort of a burden._ ”

“What is it?”

“ _ You mentioned before that I could count on you if I needed anything, _ ” Sakurai’s words hesitated.

Aiba heard his words coming through as if he were rummaging through his own troubled thoughts. This could be it, his indication that not everything was lost between them.

“ _ I sort of forgot my laptop in your apartment and I was thinking of doing some work while I was here at the hospital. Do you think… you could drop it off at some point today? _ ”

Aiba admitted it was nothing he was expecting, but just the indication that Sakurai was relying on him with anything must mean something. Right?

“Um… Sure thing,” Aiba said through the line, unsure himself if this meant everything was okay between them. In truth, it felt like he would never be able to tell unless Sakurai came forward and said it himself. Or perhaps, this was his own way of saying it without words. His price to pay for getting involved with an Aquarius.

The meetings at Foliage were done before midday and Aiba rushed to pick up his things and exit before he would be stopped by another executive asking how his father was doing. Right now, his thoughts were aimed towards seeing Sakurai and knowing if everything was okay between them.

“In a rush?” Ohno spoke to him once the conference room had been emptied out. Aiba had postponed all small talk, except that he didn’t mind chatting with Ohno.

“I need to get somewhere,” Aiba answered, avoiding the details that would drag their conversations.

“Was that him who called you just now? The one you connected with?”

Ohno’s question came as a surprise as Aiba didn’t remember telling Ohno much about his Connection other than the fact that it finally happened. He’d spared him the details hoping they could share a drink and talk about it later, but the days had become shorter ever since he started taking Sakurai’s class at the University.

“You can tell?” Aiba smiled, a little embarrassed.

“Your eyes lit up,” Ohno said. Aiba had once again underestimated Ohno’s capabilities to read him. “You’re really going for it.”

“More than ever,” Aiba responded.

“I’m happy for you,” Ohno said and his sleepy eyes smiled with him. He was possibly one of the only people who knew how long Aiba had waited for their Destined One and Aiba knew his words were truthful. And they were all Aiba needed to hear before heading out and meeting with Sakurai that day.

~

“I’m sorry, sir. I don’t see any Sakurai in the admitted registry.” The lady at the hospital said, excusing herself before going to attend a call. Aiba walked back from the front desk a little confused and decided to text Sakurai himself for the room number. 

_‘A409_ ’ Sakurai texted back not a minute later and Aiba wondered if the lady at the reception had maybe misspelled the name. 

Aiba took the elevator to the fourth floor, hanging on to Sakurai’s laptop bag in one hand, wondering if he should have at least brought a present for Sakurai’s mother. It made him wonder if Sakurai had even mentioned him to her, to begin with, or if he was just coming by as a friend or, even worse, an acquaintance. Either way, he would know if Sakurai was definitely still angry about last night. 

Aiba turned the corner and spotted Sakurai down the hall, just outside of the room numbered ‘A409’, but he wasn’t alone. There stood another 4 men surrounding him, carrying a meeting in the middle of the deserted hospital hallway. Something about the sight made Aiba keep his distance, his attention drawn to the man who was speaking directly to Sakurai. He looked much older, but the resemblance between them was striking. He was not a doctor, his clothes were much darker and more formal than mere scrubs, and the men around them were just as well dressed as the one who seemed to be the head. 

Aiba took a step back to hide at the corner of the hall he’d just come from to avoid being spotted. He could tell by their appearance that this was not just another friendly visitor Sakurai was speaking to. From his spot, it was hard to see Sakurai’s expression then, but, he could tell from the body language he’d observed in the classroom, it wasn’t a welcomed one. The overall presence of those men seemed out of place in the middle of the hospital and Aiba was beginning to swear this was someone he’d seen somewhere else before.

It was hard to tell from just a side profile, but the men around him confirmed it. This was not just any group of ordinary men in fancy suits. They were bodyguards. And that man… he knew he’d seen him before, but his memory was failing him greatly. 

Quickly, Aiba took out his phone and turned the camera their way, snapping several shots of the exchange before the men started turning to leave and head in Aiba’s direction. Aiba quickly hid behind the wall once again, hearing their footsteps approaching. Aiba turned his back to them and hid his face well enough to not get their attention as they made their way down the hall towards the elevators. Once they’d all passed by without noticing him, Aiba made his way towards the opposite direction succeeding in not being noticed. 

Aiba took a deep breath as he put some distance between him and those men. Certainly, the aura around them was not a welcoming one. He could only imagine what would have happened if he had been caught. 

“Aiba?” Sakurai acknowledged him coming down the hall, though Aiba was still distracted by the sight he’d just seen. 

Aiba shook the thought out of his head and faced the person he’d been anticipating to see. “Hey… sorry, I took so long,” Aiba spoke casually, hiding all indications that he’d seen anything. 

He handed over Sakurai’s messenger bag and the slight exchange of their hands touching left an unspoken reminder of their acquaintanceship. 

Aiba’s mind was filled with questions about the men that had been standing in the hall earlier, but he knew it was not the right time. He should not distract himself from his top concern. 

“H-How is she?” Aiba made some chit-chat on the only thing he could think of. He would not ask to meet her unless Sakurai invited him to. He was not going to risk making the same mistake of stepping over his boundaries again. 

“She is alright. The doctors just wanted to watch over her for another night, if… that’s okay with you.”

“Y-Yeah of course! I don’t mind.” Aiba reminded him. 

Aiba knew Sakurai was thinking about it too. Aiba just had to do it, without hesitation. “Listen, Sakurai… about last night-”

“I suppose it goes without saying I’ll be canceling my class for tomorrow,” Sakurai spoke over him, burying away Aiba’s words with his own. “So, you’ll probably have an extra week to work on that paper.”

“Oh… okay.” Aiba wanted to be upset that he would avoid him like this, but now there were no energies left in him to try and get a clear answer. Sakurai had moved on, and he was clearly the only one who was hung up on the past. He should have learned by now, he would never get an answer out of him. “Um… I should let you know, I’ll be a little late tonight so you can do whatever you want for dinner.” Aiba replaced his words and decided to leave it all there. He was not going to try and force an answer out of him that Sakurai clearly didn’t want to give out. Of course, asking him to reach into his feelings to know if Aiba had done no harm was just unreal.

“Thanks for letting me know,” Sakurai responded simply, ready to finish all conversations between them. 

Aiba was not going to fight it much longer, and he had clearly already done all he’d been asked to do, so there was no point in lingering. Aiba excused himself and left as quickly as he could and before his upset would show through his eyes. He’d been more than glad to help Sakurai just moments ago, but it was the worst to feel like all his efforts were just vain attempts amounting to nothing. 

~

Aiba was glad for once that his parents had called for him to share dinner with them that night. There was no other reason for him to be called in other than his mother ordering the kitchen to cook Aiba’s favorite meal. His mother would convince him to stop by, have a bite and share his progress at the company with them. It was almost one of the most dreadful times of the month for him, but today he welcomed it more than ever. After all, he didn’t think he could see Sakurai without feeling completely irritated.

Unfortunately, Sakurai was all that was on his mind and he would not stop thinking about how he had blown out all his chances of ever getting closer to understanding him. It was simply impossible. He was beginning to understand why Capricorn and Aquarius pairs didn’t make it to the top of the list. But if so, where did their compatibility come from in the first place?

Aiba’s thoughts were interrupted by the flashing memory of the men he’d seen earlier that day at the hospital. All suited up, surrounding Sakurai in what seemed like a menacing stance in plain sight. Aiba thought they resembled his own father’s men whenever he showed up to the company. But there was really one way to know for sure.

“Father, can you look at something for me?” Aiba fumbled with his phone, waiting for a good reason for him not to do this. He could be being silly, but something in his mind wouldn’t leave him alone.

“What is it?” his father looked up from his plate.

Aiba placed his phone in front of him on the table. It was opened to the picture of the man who had visited Sakurai at the hospital. His father took his phone and studied it carefully. He had to put on his glasses to see the image clearly. 

“Do you recognize that man?” Aiba asked him as he braced himself for a response.

“Yes, I think I do,” his father said. “Is that not Kamida? From Kamida Pharmaceutical?” 

“Kamida?”

“Yes, Kamida Shun. I remember him. Although I doubt he remembers me, I haven’t seen him in a long time. Why the interest? Are you thinking of making an offer to get his business?” His father put down the phone to proceed with eating. 

“N-Not… exactly.”

“Well, I’ll save you some time. No matter the offer you’re thinking of making, he is quite the insatiable individual. Of course, back then  _ Foliage _ didn’t have the reputation it has today, but he is not easy to get around. Do you still think you want to proceed?”

“N-No… I… I guess I just got confused,” Aiba was lost. Kamida didn’t even sound remotely close to Sakurai’s name, there seemed to be no link between the two. And if he was in Pharmaceutical then it made sense for him to see someone like that at a hospital. Right? But what did any of it have to do with Sakurai? He questioned what had made him think of the possibility of any relations in the first place. Unless there were other ways. “Do you know if he ever had children?”

“The Kamidas? I’m not sure. Do you know anything?” His father addressed his mother next. “I believe they’ve attended some of our receptions.”

His mother asked to see the picture of Kamida Shun and it took her some more thinking to remember the occasion when she’d seen him. But luckily for Aiba, she never forgot a single one of her guests nor of her receptions, especially the successful ones. “Didn’t he always come with that young woman? The last time they came here she was definitely pregnant.”

“How long ago was that?” Aiba asked.

“It wasn’t too long ago actually. You must have been in college. I remember you didn’t want to come down because you were busy studying.”

It made no sense. There must be something more. “Did they not have another son? Maybe around my age?”

“No, I don’t think so. Why? What is this about, Masaki?” 

“It’s alright. Don’t worry about it.” Aiba took his phone back and resigned to sit quietly for the rest of their meal. He kept fumbling with his phone on his lap, finding himself on a dead-end without a clue of what to do. Perhaps it was time to give up on his assumptions, and yet he refused. He hadn’t tried absolutely everything.

~

“He’s staying at your place?!” Matsumoto thought he’d heard wrong from the other. He had to stop watering his bonsai garden to confront Aiba to admit what he’d been implying all along.

“It--It’s not what you think! Really, he is just staying in the guest room.”

“In your house?”

“Yes, in my house,” Aiba sighed. He began to pace around the bonsai garden. “I wanted to help him, show him that he could trust me, but now… I’m not too sure what good it has done for me.” Aiba looked at the bonsai aimlessly. Something that used to give him so much energy when he was usually down was doing nothing to help his mood. “Sakurai won’t budge. He doesn’t get what I’m trying to do and when I think I’m getting closer to him, he immediately hides away in a shell. It’s ridiculous. But that other night, it was awful.” 

Matsumoto kept going around the indoor garden watering each pot of bonsais as he listened to the other. It was not exactly a scheduled appointment, but his previous client had canceled so he allowed Aiba to come in since it seemed he needed a talk so urgently.

“Sakurai suddenly started asking me about my opinions of Fate and if I thought Fate punished others. Can you believe that? Punishment! Is that really all he thinks about this whole Connection? A Punishment?” Aiba was feeling worked up. He didn’t realize how much he was bottling up inside of him; his rants were flowing out almost on their own. “I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong.”

“Clearly, it isn’t you,” Matsumoto said.

“I mean, but it must be. If not why hasn’t he opened up to me? Aren’t we supposed to have this great chemistry between us? Isn’t that what our Connection signifies? Instead, every time I come one step closer to him, he takes 2 steps back.”

“An Aquarius alright,” Matsumoto commented.

“I don’t get it… It shouldn’t be like that. The hardest part should have passed, but why do I still feel like I’m struggling?”

Matsumoto watched the other, unable to come up with the words that would comfort him. Aiba’s look had fallen on one of Matsumoto’s lonely bonsai whose branches were empty. It was a small cherry blossom, and its branches had not yet bloomed and were nakedly exposed. 

“Is it possible that something could have gone wrong?” Aiba asked suddenly.

“What do you mean?” Matsumoto was concerned.

“Like, the reason nothing is working is that… maybe the match was wrong.” 

“Aiba, you Connected,” Matsumoto tried to stop his train of thoughts right away.

“Do Connections not have different purposes?” This time Aiba had asked something Matsumoto couldn’t answer right away. These were the kind of questions people usually brought up to disregard the work of Astrologists. “He asked me that too, you know? If our Connection was even romantically related and how did I know. How was I supposed to answer?”

“In any case, it is a Connection. Rather than asking if there is any cosmical romantic intervention, he should be aware of your feelings. Though I’m starting to think this guy doesn’t know what feelings really are,” Aiba was surprised with Matsumoto’s tone. It seemed as if the other shared his anger, and it felt good to have his emotions understood.

“Thank you for understanding me,” Aiba said earnestly, but he still felt really bummed out.

Matsumoto didn’t know if this was the right time to ask, but he truly wanted to know. “Are you reconsidering your feelings for him?”

Aiba’s gaze crossed Matsumoto’s and he thought he had seen his embarrassment. “That’s the worst part of all of this,” Aiba sighed. “He isn’t a bad person, he is just oblivious. He is actually very caring and compassionate. I can tell how much he looks after his mother. He is almost protective. His voice is deep when he talks about the things he cares about and his eyes become soft and loose. You could even peek at a smile on the corner of his lips and his embrace… it is warm and bashful at the same time.”

The garden became quiet. Aiba’s gaze had become lost towards the bonsais, except his sight was not fixed on any single one of them. His mind wandered with just the thought of Sakurai, a feeling of missing him filling him entirely. He’d only seen him at the hospital the day before and by the time he’d gotten home from his dinner with his parents, Sakurai was locked in his room. That morning too, Sakurai had run right out to get to the hospital without encountering him in the kitchen. Almost as if he were avoiding him. It became difficult to think the only person he’d ever had over at his apartment didn’t want to see him.

That’s why there must be another explanation, there must be something wrong. He needed to understand it, so he would know if his efforts were completely vain.

“You couldn’t find any record of Sakurai in the system before, right?” Aiba asked.

"Other than the information on him you gave me from that website, no. I couldn’t find any archives about him."

"So... maybe the question is if that source was reliable, to begin with." Aiba didn’t want to draw a conclusion, but he needed to word the fear that was circling his mind. “Do you think it's possible that all that information might be fake?"

"You mean that Sakurai would have a fake identity?”

"I don't know... Maybe it was a misunderstanding. Maybe we did connect, but it is not the percentage that you were able to calculate before. It would explain why we have no chemistry. Maybe our energies collided like that because of how opposite we are."

"That's not likely. I've never heard of a situation like that."

“It wouldn’t be the first time I would get linked with crazy situations.” Aiba laughed forcefully. The worry in his eyes wouldn’t leave him alone. “Can I ask for just one weird favor?” Aiba’s pacing had gotten him closer to Matsumoto. Matsumoto could see Aiba’s eyes asking for his help as if he was the only one who could get him out of his turmoil of doubts. Matsumoto wondered if he could ever say no to Aiba.

"I know this is sudden but… can you search for a new record in the system?"

Matsumoto was confused by his sudden request but decided not to question Aiba’s motives. “Who do you want me to search for?”

Aiba reached into his pocket and produced a small and folded piece of paper he handed over to Matsumoto. Matsumoto observed it skeptically before unfolding it and revealing the name that Aiba somehow refused to say himself. 

~

They moved inside for Matsumoto to start his search right away. Aiba had to leave soon, but he knew if he didn’t do this now, he wouldn’t be able to put his thoughts to rest until the next time he would see Matsumoto. Nighttime was already rolling in and he didn’t like riding his motorcycle when it was dark. Luckily enough, Matsumoto finished not much later.

“There is a match,” Matsumoto said. Aiba’s heart jumped as he looked up from his phone, waiting for Matsumoto to say more or for there to be a ‘but’ next. “Kamida Sho, his sun sign matches with your Sakurai, but I can’t see anything else.” There it was. “His record has restricted access.”

“Can you get access?” Aiba asked.

“I can try. I should be able to send a request with my level of prestige.”

“Please do. And once you know for sure it’s him, can you run a compatibility test?”

Jun hesitated. Maybe he thought Aiba was taking too many extremes for a guy that had no interest in him, but Aiba didn’t care. He still needed to know why this ever started, and if he couldn’t get it from Sakurai, he would find it himself.

~

When Aiba opened the door to his apartment, his first sight was Sakurai in his living room. Quite honestly, he’d been thinking about it all the way from Matsumoto’s office, but seeing him was still nerve-wracking, especially when they hadn’t really spoken since that other night. 

“Hey…” Aiba greeted him, figuring he hadn’t seen him all day, yet Sakurai said nothing in return. He stood up from the sofa, looking dressed and with his bag laying on the floor next to him. Aiba could read it in his body language too. “Are you leaving?”

“Yeah,” Sakurai said, no regretful feeling in his voice. “My mother is getting discharged tomorrow. I figured I could go home now, but it didn’t seem right to just leave without telling you before.”

“I see,” Aiba said. “I’m glad she is all better.” Although Aiba tried to smile, there was a lump in his throat that wouldn’t let him. 

“Here…” Sakurai walked up to him and held out a small and bound roll for Aiba to take. Aiba accepted it, not aware of what he was given until he observed it carefully enough. And yet knowing what it was didn’t help him decipher what it meant.

“What is this?”

“I actually did a little research on this area and I checked the rent. I summed up the days I sleep here and that should cover the costs for my stay.” Aiba observed the roll of cash in his hands, waiting for Sakurai to say he was kidding. “I don't want to feel like I owed you, so this is all I could think of to pay you back."

Despite their surroundings and the lifestyle that Aiba showed off to him, despite the hospitality with which he’d accepted him into his own home, Sakurai still saw him as a complete stranger. 

Aiba too thought that the man in front of him was a stranger. Each day he saw him was like meeting him all over again. Still trying to be noticed while he’d been trying to break the ice between them for so long. It was a never-ending conversation of self-introductions that each day became more confusing. But why was he like this? Sakurai’s attitude, it wasn’t something he could simply attribute to the distribution of the stars. The stars would be unreadable if they depended on Sakurai’s attitude and his overall manner towards Aiba. But what was Aiba supposed to do next if he never came to understand what he was trying to transmit to him with his actions? Why did every effort Aiba put in for him come back as an infuriating gesture by the other?

Aiba shoved the roll of money back into Sakurai’s hand, formally rejecting it. “I don’t need it.”

Sakurai held it before it slipped from his grasp. “W-What do you mean?”

“It means I don’t need your money, Sakurai.” Aiba spat back and walked past him, already tired by the sight of him pretending not to know what he was talking about. 

“I-I’m sorry, did I… do something wrong?” Sakurai dared to ask. 

“I’m not a service,” Aiba was holding himself back not to implode right then, but his voice was still firm. He turned to face Sakurai who still looked at him cluelessly. “I didn’t let you stay here to gain a quick buck, I did it because I wanted to help you.”

“I realize that bu--”

“But what? You just don’t care, do you?” Aiba’s hurt made the other nervous. 

Sakurai kept gazing down, unable to face the other. “You shouldn’t involve yourself with me, Aiba,” Sakurai finally gave him a direct answer, although it was not at all what Aiba wanted to hear. “You have a promising future and so much to develop with your company. I know… this compatibility thing means a lot to you, but I’m not… what you’re looking for.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Aiba looked at him in disbelief. Was he really this blind? “It’s a little late for you to say that.”

“But I mean it. You should really... forget about me.”

“I have feelings for you,” Aiba’s words seemed to finally get Sakurai’s attention to face him. There was a small trace of knowing in his eyes, but to hear it from Aiba was different. It made it real. “I’ve never felt a Connection as strong as I felt it with you. Even after knowing how it was supposed to happen, I could never have imagined it feeling like that.” Sakurai could follow the anger in his voice hardening in his own chest. “Even if you don't believe in destiny, you must have at least thought of how strange that was. I'm just trying to understand that myself. Instead, I am only becoming more confused thinking why I would be dragged into something with someone like you. Why did I connect with you?” Aiba’s reddening eyes wouldn’t let Sakurai turn his gaze away from them. “If you had any sense of curiosity, wouldn't you also be trying to understand what that must have meant?”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to involve yourself with me,” Sakurai still insisted. “You have a good life,”

_ What did that even mean if he was alone? _

“Your business is booming,”

_ Why would that matter? _

“Why would you give that up for a nobody?”

“Because he is not just a nobody… he is my soulmate,” Aiba said in all seriousness.

Sakurai sighed. “You really believe we are soulmates?”

“I don’t believe it, I know. You know it too. You and I… we are far more than nobodies.”

“Who says? The Universe? The stars in the sky, placed there an infinity of years ago? A coincidental placement of celestial bodies millions of kilometers away. You choose to let your life be dictated by them, and I choose not to. Why should they decide how we live our lives in the first place? Have you ever made a decision on your own? You have to let someone else tell you what to do or how to behave or what to eat or what to wear on which day. None of that makes you smarter, it only makes you submissive.”

Aiba grabbed Sakurai’s blazer, his fist closing tightly on his lapel, moved by his frustrations and an empty impulse to intimidate Sakurai to stop. He’d had enough of the words that others kept spitting at him. Who was Sakurai to speak of purpose? All Sakurai had ever done was avoid whatever inconvenienced him, never confronting what bothered him, never admitting to his own feelings and choosing to hide under blank expressions. Nothing mattered to him other than never following the crowd, thinking he was better than everyone else for having a difference in opinion. Why would any of that matter if he was heartless deep inside? 

Aiba wished he could have said any of that, and yet his mind was drawing a blank, not wanting to continue the confrontation. He chose not to be the person to continue it, and put a stop to it right away. He would gain nothing from wanting Sakurai to feel hurt, and his own injured pride was not letting him think rationally either. 

Aiba let go of Sakurai’s blazer, finally, and before his eyes would show how frustrated he really was, he ordered him: “Get out.”

Sakurai said nothing and thought nothing of Aiba’s menacing threats and took his bag before he walked out the door in a hurry. Down the corridor of fancy penthouses, Sakurai’s steps echoed from the sole of his shoes and became progressively gentle as he slowed down. Something in his chest tightened, almost suffocatingly. The tension in the air around him became gloom and it made him terribly aware of his loneliness. But was it really his own loneliness what he felt? It didn’t feel like his own, but it felt more like his fault.

He didn’t know what he was doing anymore.


	5. Virgo

Sakurai always thought learning was a pleasure. He found it easy to learn and fascinating to understand new things. He liked to think he had the skill to help others learn as well, and that’s why he pursued a career in teaching. Sakurai didn’t think forgetting would be the hardest task in the world. It was odd and strangely irritating, but everywhere he went, he would be reminded of that which he tried his best to forget. And he would think about Aiba all over again. He would go out to get groceries, and just as he was picking out his vegetables and putting them in a bag made out of recycled material, he would see the  _ Foliage _ logo attached to the kraft-like paper bag. He didn’t think he’d ever noticed it was there before, but now, it was hard to miss. 

When he tried to get a cup at his favorite coffee place, he realized that right on the bottom corner of his cup, the  _ Foliage  _ logo peeked out in green letters. He’d looked around him and noticed each individual cup everyone held and sipped from had the  _ Foliage _ logo standing out like never before. He couldn't tell why it was coming out so noticeably, but it was driving him crazy to stop and gaze upon it everywhere he looked. He soon became hunted by the idea that Aiba could walk into the café at any moment, and he left immediately before he could risk the chance of it happening.

He went home and tried to relax, going through the term papers he needed to grade for the next week. He would be taking notes of the evaluations he made for each essay in his notebook when a question struck him. It was stupid to think about, and perhaps he was being a bit paranoid, but it did seem like it could be possible. He wouldn’t dare to find out, but his curiosity was too strong. So he flipped the pages of his notebook, to the very last page, and he found it there, in the inner side of the front cover; the  _ Foliage _ logo in small, green letters. 

Why was it following him? Why now, when everything had gotten so quiet? It was all beginning to go away, even the sting of the Contact, which had kept coming back even after weeks and months had passed since that moment. For some time now, he thought the cramps in his hand would never cease, but they had begun to calm down once he’d stopped seeing Aiba around so much. 

Sakurai had forgotten to count the weeks in which the seat at the back of his classroom remained empty. Perhaps it hadn’t been so long, but he could no longer keep track of Aiba’s absent days. As there was no more trace of the other on campus, he began to think it was over. Aiba must have grown tired of his course and dropped out. He had many more important things to do for sure, like being a CEO. He’d done far too much fooling around, pretending to be interested in his course. Hopefully, he’d learned to take his work seriously. 

Sakurai spent his weekend grading the term papers from his 102 History class when he stumbled upon Aiba’s. The printed copy of his paper was right in the middle of the pile of essays, and yet he had no recollection of having seen Aiba in any of his recent classes. Sakurai wasn’t sure if he should bother grading it. He knew it wouldn’t be long before Aiba dropped out of the course. It would be hard for him to catch up to all the lessons he’d already missed. Sakurai left his paper for last, and only after all the other papers were done, he sat down to read Aiba’s. 

The ideas they had exchanged that night in his living room were coming back as he read. He could tell Aiba had considered everything Sakurai had suggested to make his paper better, and even added the contributions of Keppler in a way that made it all the more relevant to the historical time. It was a perfect paper and a persuasive argument. The grade was higher than the majority of his students, yet what good would it do if Aiba had decided not to come back to the classroom?

That week he was handing back their graded term papers, so he decided to ask one of the students that used to talk with Aiba after class if she’d seen him around the campus. Her answer was a clear no, as she hadn’t heard from him in weeks. Sakurai tried to put it to the back of his mind, as he would with any other student that would constantly miss his class. It was none of his business what they did with their time, so there was no reason to worry on this occasion either. But he couldn’t let it go, not after reading such an important piece of academic arguments. He had always been the type of professor to let his students know when they did a good job and, regardless of his age, Aiba was no exception. 

He waited out the week, hoping to see Aiba walk through the door to receive his graded paper, and yet Wednesday and Friday came and passed, and there was no sign of him anywhere. Sakurai was starting to become quite angered by Aiba’s relentless effort to avoid him. If he was still enrolled in his course, he would have to follow the schedule just like everyone else. It was not just about not missing submissions, but it was also important to come to each class discussion to pass the course. It was not fair. Even less fair was to make him worry about him.

That Friday afternoon, once his office hours were done, Sakurai took the bus and took a detour on his way home. After some more walking, he finally arrived at Aiba’s apartment. The guard at the entrance recognized him from the many times he’d come and go on his previous stays there, so it was easy to go up to Aiba’s penthouse floor. He didn’t need to knock, he simply placed the graded essay on the floor by the door entrance and decided to let it sit there until its author would come around to pick it up. Only this way Sakurai could set his mind at ease.

~   
  


A student approached Sakurai just as the class ended. They had several questions about their upcoming test at the end of the week, and Sakurai had to be careful with not responding with all the information about the test he hadn’t even prepared yet. It was hard to make the student not worry and clarify their doubts, but as long as they were reading their textbook, everything should be fine. The student had left with that little piece of advice from him, and Sakurai had finally gone back to his desk to put away his things, when he saw the essay laying on his desk. He thought his eyes were fooling him, but he picked it up and studied it closely. It was Aiba’s essay, without a doubt.

It was only then he recognized the feeling of being observed and his eyes drew him to the back of the auditorium. That seat at the very end was no longer empty.

“You insult me,” Aiba’s words resounded in the large classroom, directed at the professor who was momentarily stunned by his presence. Sakurai had not even noticed him walk in. “And you like to pretend like you just don’t care about anyone but yourself. But it’s not like that, is it?” Aiba’s arms were crossed over his chest and quite a maddened expression sat in his usually kind eyes. Sho felt he was in trouble. “I can see right through you, Sakurai.” Aiba got up from his seat and began to descend the stairs at a slow pace, getting closer to Sakurai with each step. “You just don’t want to hurt yourself, do you?”

It was hard to look up when Aiba was finally standing in front of him, being attacked with such words that hit too close to the truth. It was hard to give Aiba the satisfaction of being right about him, but it suddenly didn’t matter when he realized he hadn’t completely broken Aiba’s usual spirit. And it felt right seeing him again.

“You missed class.” Sakurai diverted the conversation and Aiba did not expect any less from him.

“I know. I was having some personal issues, that’s all.”

“I’m going to need a better excuse than that.”

“You’ll get it,” Aiba said, relieved to see that Sakurai was willing to put up with him even now. 

“Are you coming back?” Sakurai asked him.

“You know… I think I might just drop out,” Aiba said and Sakurai couldn’t even tell if he was being serious or if he was just teasing him. “I might just decide to mind my own business.”

Still, Sakurai didn’t want to risk his chance. “I like how you added Kepler in your paper.”

“So?” Aiba spit back.

“So... I don’t think you should,” Sakurai said simply, and Aiba thought he might have heard wrong. “I think you should stay, I would like to read more from you.”

Aiba didn’t know if he was trying to flatter him, but his words only served to confuse him even more. “I thought you didn’t like hearing from me. What’s so different now?

Sakurai was trying to think of a reason for him, but nothing came to mind. “I don’t know.” 

“Then... you should figure it out,” Aiba said, and as he had nothing else to state to the other, he made his way to the door. 

“Do you want to grab dinner tonight?”

Sakurai’s voice paralyzed Aiba on his tracks. For a long moment, he thought his ears were just deceiving him, but Sakurai’s question could not have been clearer. Sakurai was not just fooling around with him either. Aiba could tell when he looked back at Sakurai, the nervousness of his stance, waiting on an answer that he simply didn’t deserve. Not after what he’d said to Aiba, which still hurt profoundly. Though seeing him today had helped. He sensed a willingness from Sakurai to make things better, something different in his eyes that made him believe he’d changed, if only a little. Maybe there was some reason to think that even Sakurai was capable of change, and it excited Aiba to think he’d attain that part of him he’d tried so desperately to reach into, but, unfortunately for Sakurai, Aiba had other plans to make him understand.

“No,” Aiba answered, and after directing a cold look towards Sakurai, he exited the classroom, leaving the other feeling most rejected.

~

Aiba thought he’d told his mother not to keep calling his phone if he didn’t answer the first two times, but her calls kept coming in insistently during his board meeting at  _ Foliage _ . He was not about to interrupt such an important meeting when he knew she just wanted to know if he would make it to their family dinner that week. He had yet to impress his father’s associates and gain their trust so they would accept him once his father gave him the title of CEO permanently. As much as he liked to call himself the CEO and work as one, his title was still new and he had yet to demonstrate to his father’s associates he could take charge of the company and not let them down. Still, it would be quite complicated if his mother kept trying to jeopardize his meetings so diligently. 

He returned her calls only when the meetings were finally over and he’d bid his farewell with the board members. 

_ “Masaki, I’ve been trying to reach you all morning,”  _ his mother spoke, a little upset.

“Didn’t dad tell you? I was in a meeting. It was kind of important. What is it?”

_ “Well, I just thought you would want to know, I was talking with my old friends the other day and we were having a lovely chat remembering our old parties we used to plan together. And I just happened to ask about the Kamidas since you seemed so interested in them before.” _

Aiba was ready to interrupt her, thinking she had only called to share some sort of family gossip with him, but hearing the name that had been on his mind from her was certainly a surprise.  __

_ “Well, turns out, Miss Hoshino knew the Kamidas very closely and she told me Mr. Kamida used to be married to another woman.”  _

“R-Really?”

_ “It’s what she told me. He was married to his first wife for around 25 years and they divorced, sadly.” _

“And their son? Did you ask if they had any children?”

_ “I did!”  _ His mother was joyous that Aiba was so interested to know.  _ “She mentioned, and I am quite certain of this, that they had a son, but shortly after the divorce, he went abroad.” _

Abroad? Aiba had no clue if this lined up with anything he’d heard about Sakurai before, but he had no reason to believe it was wrong. “Did he ever come back? To Japan, I mean.”

_ “She couldn’t say. She hasn’t heard from the Kamidas ever since they split.”  _

It was not much, but his mother had proved surprisingly resourceful for him. It was enough to get an idea of the direction he was going to and it made way for new questions to head his way.

“Thank you. This was helpful,” Aiba said, ready to hang up.

_ “Masaki, before you go, will you be having dinner with us tomorrow night? I could ask the cook to prepare something special.” _

Of course, regardless of providing him with such a valuable piece of information, his mother’s priorities never seemed to change. Despite their repetitiveness, he had to admit, he liked her this way. “No, it’s okay. I already have plans. But I’ll talk to you later.”

~

Matsumoto had called Aiba suddenly that week for a meeting, hopefully, with the results he’d ask for him to search. And perhaps it was too precipitous to think the compatibility test he’d ordered was already done, but Aiba knew Matsumoto was capable of surprising him and pulling off great stunts. 

“I’m sorry I asked you to come so out of the blue,” Matsumoto took a seat at his desk and Aiba took his on the patient’s futon.

“No worries, I had time.” Aiba almost missed sitting across from the other. Matsumoto knew just how to make his clients feel comfortable and speaking with him was something Aiba enjoyed the most out of his weeks.

“How have you been?” Matsumoto began as usual.

Aiba thought about so many things at a time. He decided to start with what most excited him to tell the other. “Well… you know I had some trouble with Sakurai and... I had to put a distance between us for some time. It was hard to engage with him, and he was clearly giving me a hard time. I don’t know what it could have been, but I think our energies were just not balanced enough… but he’s made some advances at me recently.” A smile was drawn on Aiba’s lips remembering what Sakurai had told him the last time they met. He kept getting the impression that Sakurai missed him. “It’s… strange, but I think things are looking up.” 

“Has he mentioned anything about falsifying his identity?”

“No, why? Did you get access to the record?”

“No… actually. I’ve sent several emails, but no response yet. I’m still looking into it, unfortunately. I might need some more time and that compatibility test might take a little bit longer than anticipated,“ Matsumoto said, and he could already see Aiba’s troubled look when hearing this news. Matsumoto couldn't help but ask: “Why do you need this Kamida’s record so badly anyway?”

“I have a feeling that it might be his… though I am not too sure. I just want to know if we got his profile right since his signals are quite confusing. Though, honestly, I don’t know what I might do if it turns out we aren’t compatible.” Aiba’s eyes fell to his lap. Matsumoto could tell Aiba had invested too much of his energies on someone who was barely reciprocating his gestures, and it hurt to see the other so disheartened.

“Love and relationships can be tricky sometimes,” Matsumoto said. “They will not always go smoothly, even if they are meant to be a perfect match. In your case, your Sun sign and Sakurai’s are quite different. You would need a period of unbalance before your relationship strengthens and builds a foundation for itself.” 

Aiba knew Matsumoto was right. Capricorn and Aquarius were not a perfect match among all the signs to begin with, but their compatibility percentage had come back so high... He definitely fooled himself thinking things would be easier. 

“Even your elements are quite unmatched. Earth and wind together make sand. Sand can be rough or it can crumble, but with just the right care and taming of it, it can be shaped into anything you want to make it out to be. Your nature as a Dog-Capricorn with a Gemini rising is capable of great things, Aiba. I’ve seen it myself. You’ve made great progress in just the short time I’ve known you, and your resilience never ceases to amaze me.”

Aiba smiled bashfully, definitely not expecting the pep-talk “Then… what did you call me here for today? I bet it was not just to praise me.”

Matsumoto chuckled as well, though his smile faded gradually. “No… I… I called you for something a little different, if that’s okay.”

“Yeah, sure. Um… is it about the luck calendar?” Aiba asked. “Cause I’ve been taking some notes, though I still have to pass them on to you. I have several comments about the accuracy of the unlucky days along with what I experienced in each one according to the level of bad energies predicted.”

  
  


“Oh… yeah. I didn’t think about that…” Matsumoto seemed a little troubled as if he’d miscalculated something. “You can send me your notes via email and I’ll look through them when I can.”

Aiba nodded in understanding. “Then… what is it?”

Aiba waited for his words with a smile, granting Matsumoto the space to gather his thoughts. But just when he thought he’d been ready to do it, Matsumoto began to cower away, perhaps hunted by the same look that gazed upon him then. But even if he had lost all confidence to do it, he knew there was no time left to delay it any longer. It was better to get over it now than to let it become something else later. If only he didn’t have to do it this way.

“I have to let you go.”

Aiba didn’t think he could ever feel time slow down or hear a more dreadful silence than the one that followed Matsumoto’s words, and yet, at that moment, he felt it all at once. His mind must have been playing tricks on him because it didn’t seem like they were real for a second, but it was all hidden in Matsumoto’s eyes; the guilt and shame of having Aiba believe there would never be an end to their partnership.

“What…?”

“I’m sorry, let me… rephrase me,” Matsumoto sat up straight in his chair before trying again. His palms were sweaty, conscious of Aiba’s gaze all over him demanding an explanation. His words tried to come, but he found them hesitating again on the tip on his tongue. Yet, seeing how Aiba patiently waited for him, he realized he had to stop running away. “I can’t offer you my services anymore, Aiba.” 

The second time around didn’t feel better than the first. Aiba thought it would be more enlightening, but instead, Matsumoto’s words had left him even more stranded in confusion.

“Why? W-What do you mean you can’t? ” Aiba demanded an explanation.

Matsumoto swallowed hard. “It means… There have been some interior issues that no longer make it qualifiable for us to keep meeting.”

Aiba thought that simply couldn’t be. With his sort of influence, there was nothing Aiba had ever been underqualified to have. “Is it money? Are you raising your fee per session?”

“N-No… It’s not about money.”

“Then… I don’t understand,” Aiba’s disappointment came through his voice, and it stung Matsumoto to hear. 

“It is quite... interpersonal, but I can’t be your Astrologist anymore. I’m sorry.”

“You… have a problem with me?”

“N-No! No I… didn’t mean it like that. I misspoke. It’s just… It is very technical and I can’t deliberately share that information with you right now.”

“But, it’s so sudden… I thought I was making progress.”

“And you are. And I hope you keep going and improving, but... it won’t be with me anymore.”

“So, just like that, I can’t come here anymore?”

“You’re entitled to one last session. I suggest we do it after I have the compatibility results you last asked for. But after that, I will hand over your records and the progress you’ve had with me. You’ll have them under your possession, so you can continue with someone else if you choose to.”

“But I don’t want someone else. I want you.”

Matsumoto would have hoped for Aiba to be more understanding, but perhaps he underestimated how attached the other had become to his company. If anything, it was all the more reason this was the right choice to make, or at least that is what he kept telling himself.

“I am very sorry.” Matsumoto sighed regretfully.

Aiba didn’t understand. For a moment he thought what he had with Matsumoto was perfect. That their relationship as Astrologist and client was almost meant to be, and their friendship was only proof of some possible matching energies, but having to say goodbye to what they had so suddenly and for something Matsumoto couldn't even explain... it felt wrong. Almost unfair. Like a mistake.

Yet, if there was anyone Aiba would choose to believe was only doing the right thing for him, it was Matsumoto. And Aiba didn’t want to believe Matsumoto could be wrong about something. Still… Why did he feel so much frustration?

~

“How is it going with your match?” Ninomiya made his question as casual as he could. He was under some suspicion that Sakurai’s suggestion to meet that day was not coincidental. And by reserving that little room in the Chinese cuisine restaurant they’d met at the last time, Nino had the impression that Sakurai wanted to share some sort of update on their previous talk.

Although it would seem out of nowhere for Sakurai, Ninomiya knew he was capable of surprises, and from the moment he met him that day, he could tell the energies around him were significantly loosened and different. Just then, when Ninomiya made reference to Aiba, Sakurai was careful to not show any significant expression to the other, but Ninomiya could read right through him, and, to Nino’s eyes, Sakurai was a bad pretender. 

Sakurai swallowed his food before answering. “I got rejected.”

“You asked him out?” Ninomiya frowned with disbelief. Sakurai stuffed his mouth with food not to answer. Ninomiya chuckled at his silly manners. “He really got to you, didn’t he? I didn’t think it was possible, but he must be really hot or something. So, what are you planning to do now?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you gotta win him back, show him you care or something, I don’t know. Figure something out to get his attention. He’s probably just playing hard to get anyways.”

“Why would I? If he was already clear once.”

“So what? You’re just going to wait it out? He was all over you a few weeks ago.”

“His answer was clear. I can’t do much more than that.”

Ninomiya crossed his arms, studying Sakurai on the surface and taking note of his body language. “But you’re not okay with this, are you? You’re actually disappointed.” Sakurai sighed at the other, taking a sip from his beer. “You have a crush on him too.” 

Sakurai’s drink got stuck in his throat and went down roughly, making him cough several times. He wiped his mouth with a napkin as he cleared his throat. “You’re getting too ahead of yourself.”

“Or maybe you’re just not thinking about this enough,” Ninomiya said, a satisfied grin on his lips, seeing right through Sakurai’s denial. He was glad he and Sakurai were still close friends. He couldn’t get enough of making the other nervous with just his observations. 

They continued with their meal before it would get cold and that gave Ninomiya enough time to come up with the next topic that came to mind, though he wasn’t too sure if Sakurai was ready to engage in this conversation with him. But then, he realized, he most probably never would be ready.

“I heard about your mom,” Ninomiya didn’t look up from his food to not make Sakurai too uncomfortable. “Is she alright?”

“She is better,” Sakurai responded. “Minor complications, but the doctor said she recovered rather quickly.” 

Ninomiya nodded in acknowledgment. It was good to know Sakurai seemed calm about the whole deal, as he would bet he must have had a few sleepless nights thinking about it.

“Where did you hear it from?” Sakurai asked.

“Hm?” Nino moaned confused with his mouth full.

“Where did you hear about my mom’s condition?” Sakurai clarified himself, having no memory of sharing with Ninomiya his past odyssey.

“Your dad told me,” Ninomiya responded simply, continuing to eat as if nothing happened. And he pretended he wouldn't expect any alarming reaction from Sakurai that was surely showing in his eyes right then.

Sakurai slowed down his thoughts before he came up with the most reasonable of questions to ask first. “You still talk with him?”

“Well… yeah. He offered me a sponsorship for my show. You know he’s always been supportive of my work.”

“That makes one of us,” Sakurai whispered to himself.

“I think he’s been meaning to talk to you.” Another bomb dropped by Ninomiya, who kept acting collected, trying not to make a big fuss about the news.

“About what?” Sakurai almost spit back.

“I don’t know… he might want to help you and your mom.”

“There’s no way.”

“Right, cause I’m sure those hospital bills are going to pay themselves. And your mom needs medication, right? Is your salary enough to pay all of that off?” Sakurai did not respond. “ You should take advantage of it. Just hear out what he has to say.”

“Since when are you on his side?” Sakurai felt bad for sounding so hostile to his friend, but he couldn't help but feel his blood boil with just the thought of that man.

“I’m on no one’s side, Sho. It’s just business. But, for once, I agree with your father. You could really use his help now, and he is not asking for much.”

“How would I know he is not just trying to get me back?” Sakurai spoke with anger, but Ninomiya could tell the other was actually hurt. His words were the voiced thoughts of someone who had given all his trust to his father, only to be tricked and lied to in the end. 

“Even if he were to try, you would let him know you are still not interested. He knows you are managing all by yourself, so convincing you to go back would be a big waste of time,” Ninomiya said what he knew to be true, regardless of the other’s hesitation to believe it. “I can tell he is a little jealous, you know? That you proved him wrong and all. But I really think he wants to make amends this time. He just wants to see you. He promised he wouldn't get into your business, he just needs a little favor from you, that’s all. Just… give him a chance. You don’t have to say yes right away.”

Sakurai really hated how appealing Ninomiya’s words sounded then. After all, the thought of the medical bills that would come had been following him for a while, and he had yet to build the courage to tell his mother that he had no idea how to pay them off. But it felt wrong to just take his father’s money to solve all his problems. It felt as dirty as cheating. He’d convinced himself he wouldn't do such a thing when he’d decided he would be independent from him, but was it even the same if he would have to do him some silly favor? It was hard to tell what sort of morals to go by first, when he knew his mother’s health depended on it. Though, if that were really all it was about, then there would be no doubt in his mind. He just hoped he would have any spare pride left in him after.

“It sounds like he paid you well to tell me all of this,” Sakurai said.

“It was fair.” Ninomiya saw no point in lying about it. “But really, as your friend, I think you should fix things up between you two. It’s about time.”

Sakurai had heard those same words from his mother before, though they had been hard to hear even from her. But part of the reason his mother would insist on it, again and again, was for him to get used to the idea of it happening eventually. He didn’t want to say this was the work of Fate on his side because such thoughts were far too alien for him, but the time was appropriate to help his mother. And in any case, his father owed them at least that much.

“You better not be telling him about my match,” Sakurai warned him.

“Come on, I’m not a snitch.”

“You almost are.” Sakurai was not convinced that he was taking it seriously enough. “But I mean it, Nino. Don’t mention my compatibility with Aiba, under no circumstances.”

“I won’t, I promise you. I want you to work it out with Aiba. You deserve to be happy too. Moreover, I hear he’s some sort of bad boy. You know, riding that motorcycle of his and all.”

“Who told you he has a motorcycle?”

Nino shrugged. Sho pierced him with a fulminating gaze, forcing his words out, until Nino had no other choice. “Okay… we might be trying to get a sponsorship with _ Foliage _ down at the TV station for next season and I may have met their executive manager who happens to be close to Aiba and he told me... some stuff.”

Sho frowned at him. “Well, I wouldn’t exactly describe him like  _ that _ ,” Sakurai made a reference to Ninomiya’s previous use of the phrase ‘bad boy’.

“Then… how would you describe him? Since you won’t introduce him to me, I have to know somehow.”

Sakurai took his time to think of a possible way to put Aiba into words, but it was hard to think of just one that wouldn’t let Ninomiya ask for him to go in-depth with it. So he decided to go with the less problematic one. “Passionate.”

“About?”

“Astrology,” Sakurai answered.

“Really? He doesn’t seem like the type.”

“You’d be surprised.”

“Well, if he is an astrological nerd and he says you are his match, then I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

Just then, Sakurai's phone rang in his pocket, almost interrupting their conversation. Sakurai momentarily held his breath, seeing Aiba’s name on the screen.

“Speak of the devil…” Ninomiya saw his phone screen and encouraged him to answer it right away. Yet Sakurai let it ring a few times while his fingers hesitated over the buttons. Eventually, he stopped thinking about it so hard and took the call before it would be missed. 

“H-Hello?”

_ “I’ll pick you up outside of your apartment tomorrow night at seven. Wear something nice.”  _ Aiba immediately hung up, not giving Sakurai a moment to digest anything he’d heard, after ‘tomorrow night.’ He didn’t have to guess much to know Ninomiya had also heard Aiba through the phone, and the answer of what Sakurai didn’t want to admit to himself was written on his face. Regardless, it was undoubtedly a date.

~

Aiba didn’t want the weird conversation he had with Matsumoto to stop him from moving on with his plans. Yes, he would have preferred if Matsumoto had been honest about his decision and had told him straight to his face why they couldn’t work together anymore, but he wanted to trust Matsumoto was critical enough to determine this was the best option right now. Still, Aiba couldn’t help but think this would conflict with his plans later on, and probably interrupt his search for Kamida Sho. And considering the timing in which he’d decided to take Sakurai on a date, it would probably be too late if he waited much longer. 

Aiba had distracted himself with such thoughts as he waited outside of Sakurai’s apartment for the other to come out, but it seemed like he’d decided to take his sweet time, or maybe overthinking his approach to being fashionably late. By the time Sakurai came down the stairs of his apartment complex, Aiba had retreated to his phone, ready to send him some angry text, but luckily he didn’t have to resort to such measures. 

“You’re late,” Aiba said as Sakurai walked up to him. 

“I know… I’m sorry. I was grading some tests and I lost track of time.”

As Sakurai talked, Aiba studied what the other had chosen as his outfit for that night. He had told him specifically to dress nicely, but it seemed like Sakurai’s nicest clothes were the dark blue blazer he wore around the university and some slightly shinier shoes. He’d probably have to take care of that sometime later.

“Get in,” Aiba signaled him to get into the car behind him, a gray Porsche 718 Cayman with tinted windows. Sakurai had barely even noticed it there, but it surely didn’t seem like it belonged in that neighborhood. He could only imagine his neighbors curiously peeking out their windows, and for a moment he hesitated getting in. For sure he was expecting to find Aiba and his motorcycle again, but it seemed like today was a special occasion after all. 

“No motorcycle today?” Sakurai asked, walking over to the passenger’s seat. 

“I figured you didn’t like it. And it’ll be too bad if you ruin your hair,” Aiba said as he unlocked the car and got in. Sakurai could tell he was being especially observant that night, and putting extra care in the smallest of details.  _ ‘I wouldn’t have minded the bike,’ _ is what Sakurai wanted to say, but he missed his opportunity to do so once they got in the car and drove away.

~

Aiba’s choice of a restaurant was nothing like what Sakurai had in mind when he first attempted to ask him out. Perhaps this is why Aiba wanted to be the one to arrange their date himself. As they were shown to their table, he could feel the eyes from all sides of the restaurant on them., Some of them may have recognized Aiba and his outstanding looks, and noticed how Sakurai’s own looks got fairly lost in the crowd. He felt terribly underdressed. 

Aiba took care of all the ordering so that Sakurai didn’t even have to touch a menu. He must have come here too many times and memorized the chef’s specials to know what would be good enough to order. A bottle of champagne was immediately brought to their table and served at the perfect temperature. Aiba drank from his glass casually, as he would drink a glass of just about anything else, but Sakurai had to take his time to savor the rich flavor. He’d surely never tasted anything like it. Aiba caught up on his excitement and amused himself just looking at Sakurai and seeing what sort of things delighted him. It didn’t take much time for him to notice Sakurai had a fascination for food. 

From the moment their first appetizers came around, Sakurai barely waited a moment before he was breathing down the food. It even surprised Aiba that he had exceptional table manners, despite the quantities he was consuming. But Aiba was happy to see he’d made all the right choices to keep Sakurai satisfied. 

As it turns out, they had much to talk about after their long weeks of silence. Aiba shared with him all that was going on in  _ Foliage _ and the reason for his absence from Sakurai’s class. Aiba explained that he really was busy, trying to make a good impression on his father’s associates, and holding off on other things that didn’t seem much of a priority at the moment. Sakurai suggested he should probably drop out of his course if that was the case, but Aiba refused.

“I like what I’m learning. Dropping out would just make me look like a hypocrite. I would much rather finish what I started,” Aiba spoke with devotedness in his voice. Sakurai could trace the fondness in his gaze, trailing off to the memory of his time in the classroom. It seemed odd, but Sakurai had never witnessed such fondness from any of his students the same way, especially not the freshmen. But he’d come to know Aiba was not like any other student that he ever had. He had a hunger for knowledge and quite a voice for argumentative essays. He was sure Aiba could write a book on his own theories about astrological analysis without blinking an eye, but his duties as CEO would probably not permit it. 

Aiba was careful not to bring up any cosmic theories that were laying around in his head into his conversations with Sakurai. He wanted to talk with him genuinely, without trying so hard to impress him and try to show off his knowledge. It could sometimes be fun to analyze the astrological aspect of things, but he didn't want to make Sakurai uncomfortable by bringing it up. Furthermore, he felt that mentioning anything remotely close to what had happened during their discussions in his apartment would probably cause some uncomfortable feeling between them. 

There were still apologies that were long overdue, and Aiba hoped Sakurai wouldn’t think he’d forgotten all about it. He was happy to feel like he could talk with Sakurai without a problem, but he didn’t want to pretend that everything was fine. If there was one thing that they had to be clear about before moving on to dating more seriously was their honesty, and Aiba still remembered the words Sakurai had told him that last time they were in his apartment. He knew that, at some point that night, he would have to be straightforward and ask for Sakurai’s apology. Only in this way, he would be able to date him with a clear mind. And yet there were so many more things Aiba doubted about Sakurai.

Aiba felt irresponsible for giving Matsumoto the task to find all he could about Kamida Sho. It was certainly not Matsumoto’s job to investigate someone, and this particular assignment was only but part of Aiba’s own curiosity. This was something he had to do himself, and not be wasting Matsumoto’s time and resources to do it for him. In fact, if Aiba was so concerned, he should stop beating around the bush and try and get those results right away, just to get it over with. After all, no one else would be able to explain exactly what was Sakurai’s justification to have two identities and keep it a secret.

The voices around the restaurant had begun to die down as it was starting to become late. Neither of them felt any rush to leave as they sat there, becoming familiar with their own silence. There was no better moment to ask. “Can I ask you something?” They were just enjoying their dessert when Aiba made him that question. Sakurai nodded at him briefly, inviting his words and granting him his full attention. Aiba hesitated before speaking up, afraid that his impatience might ruin what seemed to be the only thing that had gone right up to that moment. But he just couldn't leave it alone. His mind wouldn’t permit it for another second. “Do you know the Kamida family?”

Sakurai’s eyes, which had felt so soothing on his own until now, suddenly diverted and looked away. The food over the table was abandoned and Sakurai’s body language became troubled at once. “Kamida?”

“From Kamida Pharmaceutical? I was wondering if you knew them,” Aiba asked. His voice was slightly demanding, expecting nothing less than an answer. Perhaps this was the only way Sakurai would listen. “I don’t know much about them, but I know they had a son and I think his name was Kamida Sho.”

Sakurai sighed, clearly ticked off about something. Perhaps already regretting coming here with Aiba tonight. But Aiba just wanted to understand why. “I think that’s you.”

“Where did you--” Sakurai stopped himself, holding his breath and exhaling sharply instead. There was probably no point in knowing how he’d exposed himself to him. With the sort of lifestyle Aiba led, he’d probably picked up a few tricks on how to dig up information about the people around him. When it came to rich people, they were always the same.

“I saw you talking to the president of Kamida Pharma when I went to meet you at the hospital. To be honest, I thought it was a little weird and I was worried. I’ve been getting a lot of mixed signals from you since the first time we met,” Aiba said, unable to hide his concern any longer, especially when the other was so bluntly admitting to everything he’d suspected. “For the longest time, I thought something between us must have been wrong. I doubted my Astrologist’s prediction because you wouldn't even notice me. You didn’t want anything to do with me, but I wanted to be with you. And I thought… Maybe I was just afraid.” Aiba’s look was drowned in upset. “I thought… Maybe I’d fooled myself to believe I liked you because I didn’t want this whole process of finding a soulmate to start over. And getting closer to you was such a mess, every time. I thought our prediction must have been wrong. And right now I’m just more confused. How am I supposed to know that we’re meant to be?”

“That’s the whole point, Aiba, you’ll never know. If we all knew, why would we even try?” Sakurai spoke defensively. It was hard for Aiba to see into his eyes now, but there was anger in them. “Would you look at me differently if we weren't soulmates?” Sakurai’s words pushed Aiba against a wall.

“No,” Aiba was more certain about it than ever, and knowing that the truth would be different was what terrified him the most because of that. “But how does it all end If we’re not meant to be?”

His words plunged their exchange into silence, both feeling all kinds of silly for being at that table at that moment. But more than anything, Sakurai felt stupid that he could ever think to trust Aiba.

“Then maybe this was wrong after all,” Sakurai said. As he stood up, his chair rattled noisily and he hesitated over the table as if there were words still left to be said. He took them back, unable to look at Aiba at that moment, not even to express how he’d disappointed him. It hurt to feel so vulnerable in front of him. And he left without another word, hoping Aiba would learn there were ways of getting into another’s privacy without the need to jump steps all the way to the end.

  
  


~

Aiba was at the company when he received a call from Matsumoto. At first, he thought it was only natural that the other would be calling him. He then remembered how their business was so suddenly cut short by the other, and thought it was odd that he would be calling him at such a time and in the middle of the day. When he answered there was a clear delay in Matsumoto’s words, struggling to come out from the other side of the line.

_ “Aiba, I’m sorry… I didn’t know who else to call.” _

“Is everything okay?”

_ “It’s… gone.”  _ Even in Matsumoto’s voice there was clear disbelief. _ “Everything…. I don’t know what to do.” _

“What do you mean? What happened?” 

_ “I… don’t know. A group of men, they came… they took everything.”  _

A terrible sensation was beginning to build in Aiba’s stomach, perceiving the fear in Matsumoto’s shaking voice.

“Where are you right now?” Aiba urgently asked.

_ “My office.” _

“I’ll be right there.”

Aiba hung up, all the possibilities in his mind pointing to a bad direction. He needed to get there quickly no matter what.

~

Matsumoto’s front door was unlocked, and Aiba rushed inside to find the other in his office. Once he entered, he realized the other was not an exaggerating when he said everything was gone. His desk was cleared out, along with his documents and desktop computer. The files that were usually organized and presentable had been emptied and his drawers all messed up, as if whoever had touched them was in a hurry. His shelves of books and everything else that carried any significance to his life’s work had disappeared. It felt like an invader had trespassed into a space that was meant to be a safe haven for the soul.

Matsumoto sat on his office floor, his back against the naked wall that once carried his certificates and professional license. The distress in his eyes was clear, and it tormented Aiba to see the other so defeated.

“Jun, what happened?” Aiba still didn’t understand how anyone would target Matsumoto when there was nothing of monetary value in his office and the rest of his house was intact.

“They came for my things.” There was no other way he could put it.

“Who came?” Aiba insisted.

“I’m not sure if they ever said. They claimed they had detected suspicious online activity from my home address and that they had no other choice but to take everything.” Matsumoto kept messing up his hair, not knowing what to do with himself. “All of it… it’s gone.”

“Did you call the police? I’m sure we can track them down.”

Matsumoto shook his head. “They told me not to even bother. They had a warrant.” Jun pointed to the only paper that remained on his desk with the written order for a domicile search. It all seemed wrong. It was too out of nowhere. Yet Aiba had come to know nothing was ever a coincidence. 

“Who would do such a thing? What were they even looking for?”

“They wouldn’t even say,” Matsumoto’s upset rose with his voice. “They didn’t even let me ask questions, I could only stand by and take it…” his face fell between his hands, his raspy breath giving way to anger and grief. He felt like punching a wall and, at the same time, all his energies had left him.

Aiba couldn’t bear to see him like this. When he ran out of questions, all he could do was try to console him. “Jun… I’m so sorry,” Aiba approached him, offering his compassion through the warmth of a touch, when Matsumoto, who felt his hand coming closer, flinched and stumbled back with a gasp stuck in his throat. 

His abrupt movements to avoid his gesture made the other jump back as well, confused if he had crossed any particular lines he shouldn’t have crossed.

“I-I’m sorry,” Aiba said. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Matsumoto said nothing; instead, he recollected himself from his clear overreaction and hoped Aiba wouldn't think too deeply about it. Still, he had underestimated Aiba if he thought he wouldn’t try to understand why he’d avoid his kind gesture. It was not hard to see either that it was not that Matsumoto would reject the gesture in itself, but it was Aiba he wanted to avoid, drawing space between them as if it would hurt him to come any closer. As if he couldn't give in to his touch.

Aiba’s eyes widened when he finally saw it, the reason for such strange meetings happening between them. The confusion of their situation had blinded him from noticing that the awkward energies that were built around them were so much heavier than they seemed and there was no clearer indication of it than Matsumoto’s actions right then and now. Aiba felt like an idiot.

“Since when have you known?” Aiba needed to know. Matsumoto refused to acknowledge he knew what he meant and tried to avoid the sting he felt from Aiba’s eyes, staring at him confused. “You know we’ll Connect if I touch you, don’t you? Since when have you known?” Aiba had no choice but to insist.

“...A while,” Matsumoto said.

“When?” Aiba tried again.

Matsumoto sighed. “I’m a Virgo. I’ve known since I first looked into your signs. And before you Connected with Sakurai.”

“Why did you take me in? You’re not supposed to if you know it’ll conflict with our signs-”

“I know. But you’d been looking for someone who could understand you for so long. I thought I could try until you found your own Connection. I thought I could fight it, pretend for a while, but I didn’t expect to become your friend.”

Aiba wanted to feel upset towards him, but he knew the other was in too much turmoil to take another blow that day. He couldn’t do anything.

“Did you test it?” Aiba was afraid of knowing himself, but he knew there was only one way Matsumoto would know for sure.

“I wanted to be wrong.” 

His words didn’t help to reassure Aiba there was no sort of harm done, but just knowing of the existence of such a piece of evidence, it hurt to know he’d kept it to himself all this time, knowing fairly well he would have let him go in the end. 

“What were you thinking?” Aiba asked, though he knew he shouldn't expect any answer out of Matsumoto at that moment. Only a last “I’m sorry.”

Aiba felt useless then, unable to comfort his friend in the turmoil he’d drawn himself into and drenched in guilt for never noticing a single sign of energy coming from the other. Some of it must have been his fault too, never stopping to consider how the other sometimes addressed him or looked at him or looked for him when he most needed to. Matsumoto had let his feelings take over his relationship with Aiba, and now he was sure he had lost his trust when he needed a friend by his side the most.


	6. Sagittarius

Aiba felt like the biggest hypocrite. For the longest time, his luck calendar had been predicting unlucky days to come, and he knew exactly why. He felt ashamed. After trying to make things right between him and Sakurai, he still fell under his own vicious cycles of trying to predict things before they even happened, and this time, he’d gone too far.

He had invaded Sakurai’s privacy and stepped over a boundary even though the other had yet to open up to him, and all because of his fear of getting hurt if he wasn’t able to predict things that came his way. But in trying to spare his own pain, he ended up hurting Sakurai in the process instead. It seemed as if nothing could go right whenever they were together and he’d begun to believe something must have been wrong. The universe was not making sense anymore.

He knew it was bad luck to question the ways of Fate, but for all that time, he couldn’t help it. He was unable to rationalize a possible answer to his misfortunes other than how Fate must have been mistaken this time. Sakurai clearly wasn’t interested in him, and surely he believed getting involved with Aiba was nothing but trouble. Aiba listened to no one but his instincts and he was blinded by the way of the cosmos trying to predict his future when he should have been living in the moment. He had been careless and stubborn. Not even Fate could find him someone who loved him.

Love. Aiba had been thinking of this word since the last moment he saw Sakurai. How it was all connected to the energies each human exchanged with one another. It was one of the constant concepts that existed in all astrological readings, and yet it was probably the concept that was most mysterious to him. 

The meaning of Love could not be explained by the stars. It was only the human mind that had named such deep-rooted sentiments that controlled all feelings and emotions in one’s life. And it was not just in the mind, it was deep in the soul. It had the power to caress the heart and stab it at the same time. It could heal all wounds and reopen them once again.

Aiba’s heart cramped in pain whenever he thought about Sakurai, about how he lost him because of his own selfish actions. How he will probably never be trusted by the other again. And yet, before he could even tell what he was doing, Aiba stood in front of Sakurai’s apartment as if he’d lost his way home. 

He didn’t know what had pushed him to come, but the thought of having Sakurai hate him was unbearable. He needed to prove to the other that he was better than this, he just had never fallen in love with someone like he had with him, and he didn’t want things to go wrong. To be fair, he thought everything would be perfect, but he fooled himself with fantasies of how love could ever be a simple thing. Love was never explained in his books, therefore Aiba had not learned its real meaning until he met Sakurai.

Aiba’s hands were shaking, sweating for fear that he would be rejected by the other, but he understood now that the moment that happened, he had to let it go. He would’ve had his answer and he would need to give it up. He hoped it didn’t have to come to this. There was still something in him that told him there was still a chance, but if he waited too long, he might just lose it forever.

Aiba knocked, but some of the strength in his knuckles was still holding back. He tried again, this time making sure even Sakurai’s neighbor would hear him knock, but by the lack of noise coming from inside, Aiba thought he must not have heard him.

“Sakurai?” Aiba called out from the other side of the door. “It’s me. I just want to talk.” Aiba wondered if these were the right words to get him to open the door, or if he needed to try harder to convince the other. “I’m sorry. I... I was wrong. I didn’t consider your feelings… and I ruined everything.” Aiba sighed, his breath shaking, hoping his humiliation would be enough proof of his remorse. “I wish you would talk to me again. I… really miss you.”

There was no other way Aiba could put it into words and yet there was no indication from inside that Sakurai would respond any time soon. After all, Aiba must have been too late. His efforts had been in vain and all he’d ever hoped for had been lost because of his own stupid actions. But no matter what, he couldn’t say he didn’t try. 

He was about to turn around when the door unlocked from the inside and the door swung open, almost startling Aiba, who could have sworn no one was really listening, or at least not the person he wanted to. There was someone inside after all, but not someone he expected to see.

For a long moment, Aiba found himself blinking at the person who had received him at the door, trying to connect dots in his head that just wouldn’t connect right away. 

“Can I help you?” The old woman seemed a little abashed that she had heard Aiba’s intimate words, and this was probably the reason why she didn’t answer the door right away.

“Um… I’m sorry,” Aiba was confused. “Is this… the Sakurai residence?”

“It is.” She showed him a kind smile. “But I’m afraid Sho is not here at the moment.”

“Oh… I see.” Aiba’s look fell. His bad luck was getting to him again. He knew he should have called or texted first, but then, he was afraid Sakurai would never answer.

“May I know who is asking for him?” the old woman asked.

“Y-Yes, sorry. My name is Aiba Masaki. I’m…” Aiba held back on the words ‘friend’, not knowing if Sakurai would even appreciate him calling himself as such. “I’m an acquaintance of Sakurai’s.”

The old woman’s eyes widened, taken aback by the sound of Aiba’s name. “Aiba?” she repeated.

“Yes, miss,” Aiba was quite used to people recognizing him from his father’s company. He had even been mentioned in the newspaper a few times, so her surprise was all but unwarranted. “Do you know when Sakurai will be back?”

“I’m… afraid I don’t,” the old woman said. Aiba just couldn’t get a break from bad luck. 

“Then, would you let him know I came by today?”

“O-Of course,” the woman was still a little dumbstruck, she agreed without thinking. 

Aiba formally apologized, ready to turn away when the words finally jumped out of the old woman. “W-Would you like to come in?”

  
  


~

  
  


Sho had not been to his father’s home in so long, and yet nothing had changed. The taxi dropped him off at the gate where he had to identify himself through the intercom. The security guard on the other side recognized him right away and opened the automatic gate for him to come in. He hated all these excessive regulations, but he knew it was never enough for his father.

At the front entrance to what could easily be considered a mansion, a pair of servants opened the door for him, revealing the tall ceilings and dazzling decor of his childhood home. Everything was bright and free of dust, even if each piece of decoration seemed as if it hadn’t been moved in years. 

“Young master,” Sho heard that headache-inducing voice coming down the grand flight of stairs. His father’s assistant Takizawa had not changed in the least. Sho would have sworn his old man had already got rid of him, but he was hard to separate from his father. Even the smile he wore on his lips as he greeted Sho felt like a forced flex of muscles that must have been hurting his face. “We… weren’t expecting your visit.”

“Where’s my father?” Sho went straight to the point as he knew Takizawa would try to prevent him from taking another step into what was once his home.

“He is busy at the moment, but I can let him know you stopped by.” In other words, Takizawa wanted him out.

“He wanted to see me, so I came. I’m not leaving until I meet with him.”

“Sadly, I can’t let you do that, but if you provide us your schedule, I can arrange a time for you to--”

Sho didn’t let another second go to waste as he walked right past Takizawa and headed towards the stairs himself. Takizawa just let him be. It would look bad if the other servants of the house said he tried to kick out the master of the house, especially when their boss was quite fond of him.

Sho knew there were only a few possibilities of where his father might be, so he tried each of his studios and offices before he found him on the third door of the second floor. His office had not changed a bit either. The carpets were the same old ones as always, where he used to roll around the floor, making a mess with his toys before getting yelled at to go out. And his father was always behind his old desk, never really paying attention to what went on around him, too drowned in his readings and papers to ever pay attention to his family. 

Sho closed the door behind him, making sure no other servant of the house was walking around the hallways, and trying to make his father look up from his desk.

His arched back looked much more in pain than before. Perhaps it was his old age finally getting to him. It was hard to think but it had been so long since he last entered that room, he almost felt nostalgic. 

“Who was at the door, Takizawa?” his father asked without looking up.

“Father, it’s me,” Sho answered, capturing the attention of his father off the papers and towards him. He’d never seen him more surprised to see him in a room with him before.

“Sho… I was not expecting you to visit,” his old and raspy voice said. Sho could tell he was tired. He had never been the kind to take sleep much seriously, but it was easier to see as he’d become older.

“Well, you wanted to see me so bad you bribed my friend into convincing me to come. Since when do you have minions doing your work for you?”

His father set his pen over his desk and removed his glasses to clean them. “It was the only way I could think of to reach you.”

“Then… I’m here. What do you want?” Sho was not planning to waste time.

“Why don’t you have a seat?” His father gestured to the couch nearest to his desk. 

“I can’t stay for long. I have places to be. Just tell me what you want and I’ll be on my way.” His father looked surprised by his straightforward attitude. This was not something he’d remember of his son, and yet they had only met briefly before. There wasn’t much he knew about the current Sho, but he was willing to be surprised.

“Very well.”

  
  


~

  
  


Aiba found himself sitting in Sakurai’s living room not a minute later. The old woman had moved to the kitchen, pulling out a teapot to boil water and make him a drink. Yet Aiba felt like an intruder, knowing very well he was there without Sakurai’s knowledge and he could see into the privacy of his home, although he tried to fix his gaze down as for his curiosity not to wander off. The woman finally returned and set down a cup of steaming tea for him on the coffee table. As he thanked her, he couldn't help but stare at the striking resemblance she shared with the one he couldn’t stop thinking about.

“Excuse me, miss?” Aiba addressed her, and she listened with a smile on her lips. “Are you… Sakurai’s mother?”

Her smile widened. “That’s right.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be resting? You were discharged from the hospital not too long ago.”

She giggled subtly and she moved around the small apartment. “You sound just like him,” she said. “He is always so worried, regardless of how much I tell him not to be. Always trying to take care of me, when he barely takes care of himself,” her voice came from behind the sofa, where she began to rummage through Sakurai’s messy bookshelves. “He has no sense of cleaning,” it sounded as if she was complaining now. “Although I can’t say I’m not at fault for that. I should have taught him some manners…”

Aiba could no longer follow as her voice trailed off. When he tried to peek on what she was doing, she’d already found what she was looking for and returned to the sofa, where she took a seat by Aiba’s side. 

She sighed, slightly tired from all the scavenging she’d done. “I knew he still kept this.” In her lap lay what looked like a picture album. The front cover was a dark red with water stains that made it look like a wine red. There was nothing written on it as she opened it and began to pass pages of what Aiba recognized as a young Sakurai. Old and somewhat faded pictures, from when he was just a child. Aiba then felt that he was looking at something he shouldn’t. “Ah! Here it is!” she exclaimed several pages over. 

There was a single large picture that took a whole page. There was no sort of captions, but the image explained itself quite well. Aiba recognized young Sakurai, probably still in middle school, and behind him was the same woman that was by his side, except that, in the picture, she shined differently. Aside from everyone in the picture looking much younger, their appearance was significantly groomed, styling fancy haircuts and clothes that were surely in-style at that time. Not a single hair was out of place, not even from the man that stood next to them both, the man Aiba had recognized from that time at the hospital: Kamida Shun.

“He must have been at least 12 years old in this picture,” she recalled with great nostalgia. “Sho had quite a temper back then, he was always causing trouble for himself. He always wanted his father’s attention, but he never really did much to raise him. It was around this time that his father started running compatibility tests for him.” Her voice became heavy with feelings of regret. “He wasn’t fully developed, but his father insisted he would take over his business once he finished his studies. And part of that was knowing Sho had a chance of marrying into a wealthy family with whom he could do business and gain as much benefit as possible. Sho’s father hired great consultants and Astrologists with whom he met non-stop, trying to find Sho’s Destined One. But he was doing it all wrong.” her eyes saddened with guilt.

“He would not let his son determine who he chose to be with. Instead, he made it so that he could predict the candidates with the strongest compatibility with Sho before their paths would even cross. Until he finally came across you.” She looked at Aiba with kind eyes, noticing the clear confusion in Aiba’s expression. “Tell me, have you and Sho connected?”

“Um.. yeah, but I don’t understand,” Aiba said. 

“Between the Astrologists and the consultants his father had hired, they all reached a common conclusion on a sole individual that would be the perfect match for Sho, and that was you, Aiba Masaki.”

Hearing about his compatibility with Sakurai was perhaps not as shocking for Aiba as thinking that they had known of their match for around 20 years while Aiba had found out on his own barely months ago. He didn’t know if he should think this was reassuring when everything kept going wrong between them, but perhaps she had an answer to that too that she had yet to arrive at. 

“Yet, regardless of your incomparable match with Sho, his father wasn’t very pleased about it. You see… he wanted Sho to have a family and continue his lineage, and of course, for that, Sho would have to marry a woman instead. Not long after, his father ordered all the Astrologists to get rid of their predictions and discard the tests they had run to prove your compatibility with Sho and decided he would take care of the match himself. When Sho first entered college, we introduced him to a beautiful young lady named Aoi. They had a steady relationship, but I knew it wasn’t love. After some years, when Sho’s father had determined Sho was ready to begin his training to take over the company, he made him marry her.”

“They were married?” 

“It wasn’t for long… Sho was terribly unhappy, but his father had fabricated compatibility results to prove he was meant to be with her. And yet he felt miserable. The heart knows what it wants, and his Fate was with someone else. I couldn't bear to watch. I wanted to tell him, I truly did, but his father wouldn't permit me to say a word. His father divorced me not too long after and I couldn't return to the house, nor communicate with Sho. He must have become terribly lonely back then, and he eventually couldn't’ take it any longer. He divorced Aoi and left the house. He was disowned from the family and went looking for me. Since then, he has taken my maiden name, Sakurai, and he’s been providing for us both.”

“But you never told him.” Aiba finally said. “You never told him I was his match.”

“I couldn’t,” she said. “It would’ve disturbed the orders of Fate and it would have caused a world of hurt for him, just like it did when his father forced his prediction and made him go into a marriage without love. I didn’t want to see him so miserable again, but I knew it would take time for his fated path to heal and redirect itself. Regardless, I had seen the predictions that first named you as his Destined One, and I believed it would eventually bring him back to you no matter what. And here you are…” She searched for Aiba’s eyes, and in her gaze lay the feeling that she’d been waiting to see him all this time. “Saturn must have returned,” she said in the form of a saying Aiba had heard a few times before, although he’d never truly come to understand its meaning until then. 

He could tell she felt everything was finally coming together in her eyes, but still, Aiba felt like he’d messed it all up. If Sakurai never spoke to him again, it would mean even their fateful meeting had been hopeless and his destiny would never be fixed. 

Aiba tried to imagine a life where the ways of the cosmos had been corrupted, a life where nothing worked out the way it was supposed to, and he couldn't begin to imagine the sort of things Sakurai must have been through. A loveless marriage… must have been the most dreadful thing for Sakurai. Even Aiba preferred to take control of all his love predictions business instead of letting his family help him. He knew he needed to be the one to see his match all the way through, and he could not depend on anyone else to take care of it. That is why Matsumoto was different from other Astrologists. He believed a Destined One had to be found first by the individual before proceeding to run compatibilities. But in the case of Sakurai, all of those steps that would follow the order of the cosmos were ignored. No wonder he didn’t believe in Fate or in any astrological signs. His universe had been turned upside down by someone else’s vicious will. It was almost as if he’d been cursed. But only time could heal a broken destiny and restore in him the balance he needed to rely on the stars once again. 

Aiba always thought that Fate had forgotten about his place in the universe and that he would never be matched with anyone, but If Sakurai’s mother was right, their encounter was anything but late. The time he’d spent all alone was all because he needed to wait until Sakurai finally healed. And he was not waiting for any other potential matches, he was waiting for his soulmate.

  
  


~

  
  


“You want me to work for you,” Sakurai summed up his father’s long explanations, arriving at the conclusion that it was exactly what he expected it to be.

“It won’t be for long. I only need you as a resource to reassure my investors. I’m not asking you to take over.”

“Why don't you just look for someone else and let them take over?”

“I’m… still working on that--”

“What about Takizawa?”

“Takizawa is many things, but he cannot be a businessman.” Sho said nothing to that. At least he and his father were on the same page about something. “I am asking you to do this just once. You know the business, I trained you myself, and I believe you will leave a great impression on our investors. It is only for the meantime until I decide on the right candidate,” his father said.

If Sho didn’t know better, he would think his father just wanted him to try out the job to prove he was the only true candidate to take over the company, and he would expect Sho to change his mind once he tried out the job, But his father knew Sho was not easy to change his mind and that he wouldn’t do this if it weren’t for the fact that he’d offered him some aid.

“What’s in it for me?” Sho asked.

“I will return you your part of my inheritance, which I’m sure will help you provide for your mother. And for the time being, you’ll be welcomed here again as my son.”

It all sounded too easy, he knew there must be some dire consequence to all of it. To be fair, every time he got involved with his father, something was bound to go wrong, but there was one slight difference from then and who he was now. He was old enough to assume control over his life and he had his own rules to play by. 

“I’ll accept, on one condition.” His father braced himself. He did not expect any less from his own son. “I’ll go wherever you need me, but you’ll stay out of my personal life. Whatever I do when I’m not with you is none of your business.”

His father leaned back on his chair with a heavy sigh exhaling from his nose. He thought things over as if there were something to think over, but eventually, he realized that it was this or nothing, and he was not planning on choosing the latter option.

  
  


~

  
  


The next day after he’d talked to Sakurai’s mother and had failed to see Sakurai, Aiba had been texting Matsumoto all day, trying to set a time to meet with him. Matsumoto only texted back once, saying he could not set a formal session with him if his things were gone and that he hadn’t even gotten a chance to work on the compatibility test he’d asked for, but Aiba didn’t want any of that. He knew Matsumoto had only been trying to avoid him all this time because he felt sorry and embarrassed, but Aiba had really started to miss him. Staying mad forever was not going to solve anything and if he couldn’t get any advice from his Astrologist, he would rather have a conversation with his friend.

It took some convincing, but persuaded by Aiba’s urgency, Matsumoto finally agreed to see him that night. Although he could not see him in his office, he invited Aiba to his veranda, hoping the open space would make things less uncomfortable between them. Aiba had to admit, it worked. The clear night sky made the stars easy to gaze at, and just by fixing his gaze on them, it was enough for Aiba’s thoughts to clear out for the first time in a long time.

“Aiba…” Matsumoto called for his attention. He’d just come back with drinks, thinking that perhaps a cup of wine would make it more bearable for his words to flow. “I’m so sorry about what happened last time. It was very unprofessional of me--”

“You shouldn’t be sorry if that’s how you feel,” Aiba interjected. “I know you were only trying to be honest with me, regardless of what that cost.” Now that he had a clear mind, Aiba was really able to speak to him reasonably. “I’m sorry if I said anything hurtful to you last time. I was… rather shocked.”

“Yeah… I’m sorry about that. It was… not the right time.” he was deeply sorry and still quite ashamed, but Aiba didn’t want him to be uncomfortable around him because of it. He just wished they could talk like they always did.

“Any news about your things?” Aiba asked, and Matsumoto’s mood didn’t seem to improve.

“My license was suspended for the time being,” he said regrettably. “Whoever these people are, they really didn’t want me to work.”

“That’s unfair. You didn’t do anything wrong,” Aiba said, but Matsumoto wasn’t so sure of it considering all the trouble he was going through.

“It’s hard to say.”

“Why? What do you think it may have caused it?”

“To be honest… I didn’t think I would have much luck accessing Kamida Sho’s files.”

Although it should have come as no surprise, Aiba could not believe how he had failed to see it. His father had mentioned it before too, how the Kamidas were not any other typical business. The privacy in their family must be sacred, like the same kind of boundaries he’d crossed with Sakurai again and again. “Of course it was them...” 

“I wish I could have helped you more, but… it looks like I’ve reached the end of my road here.”

“You’ve done enough for me,” Aiba said with utmost honesty. “I think it’s about time I learn to take care of these sorts of things myself.”

“How’s that looking out for you?” Matsumoto asked.

Aiba laughed ironically. “I really screwed it up with Sakurai.” It was his turn to feel uncertain. “I know he was very difficult in the beginning, but I made it far worse for him without even realizing it.”

“He really made me think I had messed up your prediction, you know,” Matsumoto confessed.

“He wasn’t lying about his name. He changed it, after all. I guess he was just trying to bury his past, and I had to go ahead and dig it all out. I feel like an idiot. And now he might be gone… for good.”

“Why for good?” Matsumoto asked.

“I think I’ve been investing too much time on him. I’ve become a stalker. That’s not like me.”

“We all do crazy things when we’re in love.”

Aiba was still afraid to admit it, but he really didn’t understand yet what love meant. It embarrassed him to think he knew so much about the cosmos and nothing about the human nature of love. Yet, hearing Matsumoto name his actions as being love, he felt love could sometimes be a vicious and blinding thing.

He wondered if love was also the reason Sakurai’s father had chosen to hurt his son the way he did.

“I wanted to ask you something,” Aiba leaned on the veranda looking at the cup of wine he yet had to drink from. “This will probably be the last time we’ll get to meet like this for a while, and I wanted to make it count.”

Matsumoto granted him his attention, only hoping his question wasn’t too out of the ordinary and he would be able to give him an answer even without his resources at hand.

“Have you ever heard about the Saturn return?” Aiba asked.

“The event of the Saturn return? Yeah… I’ve read about it.”

“Can you explain it to me?”

Matsumoto thought about it for a moment, trying to recollect the memory of where he’d read it from and then he tried to put it into his own words. “Well, first of all, it is a cosmic event that we experience in our lives every 25 to 30 years starting from the moment we are born. It really just explains the moment Saturn completes its orbit around the Sun. A year on Earth is equivalent to 25.5 years in Saturn. But because of Saturn’s great mass, the amount of energy it carries influences the entire Solar System. It is said that the moment of Saturn returning to its original position at the time of our birth is a period of our lives where we are most conflicted with turmoil. Almost like a storm of energies. But this turmoil is necessary in order to be reborn under the planet Saturn.”

  
“How long does the Saturn return influence our lives?” Aiba asked.

“It is hard to say. It starts at our 25 years of life, but I’ve seen it last up to 10 years. It is different for each and every one of us.”

Aiba felt certain now that there could be no other explanation for what he’d lived in those recent years of his life, and the loneliness and experience. More and more, the concept of coincidences started to become a myth to him. There was really nothing accidental in the forces of the universe. Each path had been traced for an unknown purpose they all followed unconsciously and it was in the hands of Fate to guide them where they needed to be. 

Perhaps the sort of detour Sakurai’s life had taken had resulted in their encounter to arrive later than expected. As a result, this had caused their paths, not to cross, but to collide eventually and become a total disbalance. And yet, Fate made no mistakes.

If this was the way that the universe had resolved to fix Sakurai’s broken path, then, by all means, Aiba could wait a little bit longer. He just hoped that not everything was too late.

  
  


~

  
  


_ “Are you certain you’re okay with doing this?”  _ His mother sounded worried regardless of Sho repeating again and again that he was. 

“It’s fine. It won’t be for long.” In repeating it so much to her, he’d started to believe it himself.

_ “I just want to make sure you are doing the right thing,”  _ she said.

Sho stared out of the car window. His father had already called him to take care of some business and sent a car to his residence to pick him up and go to the company. That morning he’d requested a leave of absence from the university and had informed all of his students that he would be resuming his course online until further notice. There was much he was already sacrificing and he couldn’t tell if it was the right choice, but it was all he could do for now.

“I’ll be okay. Don’t worry,” was all he could say.

_ “Sho... there is something else I think I should tell you now.” _

“Um… can it wait? I’ve almost arrived at the company,” Sakurai tried to cut her short, but she refused to leave it for later.

_ “Listen, Sho,”  _ her voice became more serious. She was not taking no for an answer and Sho had no other choice.  _ “Aiba Masaki came to your apartment the other day,”  _ she began and she could tell it was much to his surprise that she would be mentioning him now. Sho had been trying to repress the thought of Aiba since he last saw him, although he didn’t think it was working out so well for him after a few sleepless nights. It was almost cruel to think he couldn’t get Aiba out of his head. His thoughts had even begun to convince him that the reason for their distance had become too silly for him to hold a grudge for so long.  _ “I spoke with him for a while and I remembered something I’d kept to myself all this time. And I only kept it because I didn’t think you would be ready to hear it until now.” _

Sho thought she had started to not make sense, but something kept him on the line, bracing himself for something unknown that made his heart accelerate.  _ “I knew you were never meant to be with Aoi. Your father and I, we knew you were meant to be with someone else. That someone else, once they come to your life, you shouldn’t lose them no matter what. Regardless of the universe hurting you, I believe now is safe for me to say you have a second chance.” _

The car had already stopped at the entrance of the company, but Sho didn’t have the strength to open the door. The feeling that had begun to grow in his chest now weighed like a rock, cutting his breath short. "You knew…?” His voice was raspy and breaking. He wished there would have been a better time for his mother to say any of this, but he could understand why she had chosen to do it now when he was about to do the one thing he swore he would never do: give his father another chance. And the only peace of mind she could afford to give him now before going back to his father was the truth. “You knew and you never told me?"

_ "Because I knew you would find your way back to each other." _

Sho had to pull his phone away from his ear as he’d begun to breathe heavily. He tried to regain his composure by taking deep breaths, not letting his anger or upset take over. The dampness in his eyes would not let him see out the tinted window, where his father was waiting for him at the entrance of the company. Inside the car, his whole universe was turning, becoming more and more chaotic the more he breathed, and yet the only thought that soothed him and let him take a hold of himself was Aiba. It all went back to him and that last look Aiba had given him before he stormed out the last time they met. He pressed the phone back to his ear once his voice had returned. "I messed up... I pretended like I didn't care about him. But... I do."

_ "It's never too late to let him know. And he's been waiting for you for long enough." _

Out the window, his father was waiting for him too and suddenly his next step felt like it could change the universe.

  
  


~

  
  


Aiba was called by his mother to let him know they would be holding a reception at their home for his father’s associates and other potential investors. That week, his father had also informed him that he would announce that Aiba would be given the permanent position as CEO in  _ Foliage, _ and this only meant Aiba’s presence at their gathering was imperative. 

Aiba wasn’t particularly in the mood for parties, but when was he ever? He would have preferred to stay at home, curled up between the sheets and trying not to think about Sakurai for one night, only to fail miserably. Yet, between the chatter and drinks, this party seemed to be doing the trick just fine. It helped to distract him and get him out of his own mind, pulling off forced smiles for each of his father’s associates that approached him to congratulate him on his new position. They were all looking at him with great expectations, and surely their pressure helped Aiba to focus on other things, like his stress.

He did not tell his parents, but Aiba also had his own plans to make the most out of tonight, so he invited Matsumoto to their gathering. He figured Matsumoto had to get out of his apartment for a while, and seeing as he couldn’t do any work, Aiba was sure he would agree to come. It was the first time Matsumoto had seen such a large residence other than his own, and still, he was sure the Aiba family’s estate was bigger. 

Aiba finally had the chance to introduce Matsumoto to Ohno, which he felt was something that was long overdue. Being surrounded by friends felt like the most liberating thing for Aiba at that moment. Between their chatter and drinks, Aiba had begun to feel like himself for the first time in a while. 

  
  


~

  
  


Sho sat inside the car for long minutes, unsure of when was the right moment to step out. He watched the lights of the mansion lit up the night like a beacon, many guests coming in and out, dressed in their formal attire as if there were some event that night that was meant for celebration, but for Sho, it made no sense. It was just a gathering to meet potential investors and make business connections, but why did it all have to be through a stupendous and ridiculous party? Even he felt silly and overdressed in his own black suit, but it was the only outfit his father had sent to him that morning and he couldn’t look for another option in time.

His father had begun to text him. He had already arrived at the reception and was looking for him. He knew Sho would be nervous on his first night trying to fish for investors, so he wanted to make sure they would go in together. But in reality, Sho was much less nervous about talking business that night than going inside the Aiba residence. His father had failed to mention where the reception would be held, but as he was on his way, he happened to ask his driver where they were heading to. Hearing it was “the Aibas’ residence” surely felt like his mind was playing tricks on him. He was aware he couldn’t get Aiba out of his mind, but this surely meant he was going crazy.

By the time his father sent him a third text, Sho gathered all his strength and stepped out of the vehicle. Adjusting his suit, he walked to the entrance of the grand mansion and took a deep breath, sure that he could get through this.

He saw his father at the entrance, seemingly relieved by his arrival. “You took your time,” his father greeted him, although he was not one for greetings.

“There was traffic,” Sho said the first lie that popped in his head. “Shall we go in now?” Sho was ready to walk inside when his father held his arm before moving away. Going by the strength of his grip, Sho thought he was unsatisfied by his excuse, but he let him go, almost regretting having done something so forceful as an immediate reaction. 

“Before we do… I thought we should talk first,” his voice was not angry as he’d come to recognize in all the years he’d known him. Instead, it was low and strange, almost hesitant in a sense. “I think... it’s about time I address how I treated you in the past.”

Sho looked at his father like a stranger, unable to recognize the regret in his voice. 

“You’ve done well this week. You’ve already managed to impress many of our associates and that’s far more than what I expected in such a short time. I think it’s unfortunate that you won’t be doing this for long, and… I wish I could change your mind.”

“Do we have to do this right now?” Sho asked as he began to feel a heavy lump in his throat.

“Hear me out,” his father almost pleaded with him. Even if he knew he didn’t deserve to be listened to, he only hoped his actions now would help his son forgive him. “The hosts of this reception own an exceptional business named  _ Foliage _ . They have made their own fortune, and I was selfish enough in the past to deny them our business, but tonight they might be our most important potential partner yet. I would like for you to get close to them.”

Sho didn’t understand. His father’s words felt as if they spoke of something beyond making business. He could see it through the regret in his eyes, the true meaning under his words and the intention behind his instructions. They felt like he knew about Sho’s need to see Aiba that night. Even the timing of his apology seemed as if he knew more than he showed. His confusing words reminded him of the same ones his mother had called him to reveal, and he had no doubt that there was something more beneath it.

  
  


~

  
  


Aiba was looking around when he caught a glimpse of someone who made him gasp and turn around in a nervous surprise. 

“What’s wrong?” Matsumoto noticed his reaction right away.

Aiba covered his mouth as if not to yelp. “What is he doing here?”

“Who?” Ohno asked.

“Ninomiya,” Aiba whispered.

“What?” Matsumoto was a little confused about who he meant, but as Aiba pointed out into the crowd of guests, Ohno and Matsumoto saw him as well. He was casually blending in with a circle of rich couples, drinking champagne as if it were his natural setting. 

“Oh... yeah it’s him.” It was not Ohno’s first time seeing him in the flesh, but he understood why Aiba had such a reaction.

“Wait, you don’t watch  _ Nino-san _ , do you?” Matsumoto needed to confirm.

“I… may have seen it a few times,” Aiba confessed.

“He asked about you that one time I met him,” Ohno recalled from the meeting he’d had with Ninomiya and his production team for a possible sponsorship for his show.

“What? Really? W-Why was he asking about me?”

“Well you’re the company’s CEO, I didn’t think it was weird,” Ohno said.

“Wait, Aiba, you know this guy is a fraud,” Matsumoto wanted to make sure.

“I mean, yeah… of course, I know.” Aiba tried to compose himself, even when he couldn’t hold his excitement and he kept looking Ninomiya’s way. “But he is still kind of famous.”

“I wonder who invited him.” Ohno drank from his cup of wine and they all looked curiously at the TV personality in the middle of their investors’ reception.

  
  


~

  
  


Sho pulled Ninomiya by his arm, dragging him away from a group of people who seemed to have heard the funniest joke in their lives. Of course, Nino didn’t appreciate being interrupted when he was just starting to get into the conversation.

“Hey! Take it easy.” Ninomiya freed himself from Sho’s grip, readjusting his rented suit. 

“What are you doing here?” Sho asked behind clenched teeth.

“What does it look like I’m doing here?” Ninomiya answered with a question to which Sho could only shake his head in confusion. Ninomiya rolled his eyes at him. “Your father invited me,” he said as if it was the most obvious reason in the world. 

Sho felt the urge to roll his eyes as well. “Of course…”

“I think he might be adopting me soon. But, he probably just wanted me to give you some moral support. Though I hear you’ve been doing well at the company. You must be a natural. Maybe you do have some businessman vein in you after all.”

“I don’t think this suits me at all,” Sho complained.

“Relax, you look great. Have a drink and loosen up a little. It’s a party, not a presentation.”

Sho was still anxious, unable to fix his attention on a single thing around him. His eyes kept scavenging the crowd of people without direction. 

“Are you nervous about seeing Aiba tonight?” Ninomiya just had to ask, which didn’t help to improve Sho’s state of mind. “Don’t worry. You’ll be alright,” Ninomiya assured him.

Sho breathed in and exhaled deeply, trying to shake away his nerves. “Yeah…”

For Ninomiya, the sight of Sho’s nervousness was almost funny to watch. “Tell me how you’ve been holding up so far,” Ninomiya asked, to help Sho distract him from everything else going around him.

“Well… honestly, I think my father just apologized to me,” Sho said, which left Ninomiya staring at him with a blank expression before bursting out into noisy laughter.

“You seriously need a drink,” Nino wrapped his arm around him to pull him up to the bar.

  
  


~

  
  


Aiba’s father had called him to engage with some of their guests as well, trying to introduce himself as the new CEO of  _ Foliage _ and accept their congratulations for his promotion. He must have been doing it already for nearly an hour and he was starting to become quite tired. His cheeks ached from all the smiling and nodding he had to go through with each and every one of his father’s associates. Things would have flown much better if his father didn’t start to talk with whoever he was introducing to Aiba at that moment. But once they started a conversation, it seemed impossible for Aiba to put himself between them for long. He was starting to miss being by Ohno and Matsumoto’s side and conversing with them. Now, the time he had to keep quiet while his father talked, reminded him of the troubles in his own mind. He thought he could silence them if he just kept drinking, but his glass was running low on wine and now he had to go find one of the servants carrying drinks around. He excused himself from his father’s side briefly as he went around the salon to look for a drink, taking a breather from standing by his father’s side. 

He had not even crossed the salon before he saw a reflection in the corner of his eyes. He decided to pay no mind to it, having been fooled into thinking he thought he saw something but being disappointed each time. There were far too many people in their home at that very moment and thinking one more would be there was absurd, especially since he knew this was not the sort of setting he would ever see  _ him _ in. 

He needed some fresh air. At this point in the evening, Aiba would be getting ready to leave, desperate to get home and get out of his suit and shoes, but he realized it would all be different from now on as he assumed other sorts of responsibilities. This probably meant he would no longer be able to enroll in any other university courses. 

And there he went again, thinking about him. He was getting quite tired of his own thoughts, but his subconscious wouldn’t listen when he told himself he could no longer be chasing after Sakurai. He would have to wait for Sakurai to be ready to see him, or at least accept their prediction. And he couldn't make any of that happen at that moment. He just had to learn to be patient, just like he’d learned from the stars. He just had to wait. And wait. And wait…

A thought began to grow inside of him, telling him to look, convincing him more and more it had not been another one of his illusions. He didn’t believe it much himself, but he had nothing to lose if he only looked that way. And he gathered the guts to do it, even if it hurt him to be disappointed in the end; he almost welcomed it. At least that would let him feel  _ something _ .

Disappointment suddenly had a different sensation, like a recompense. Something like butterflies in his stomach, or a warm embrace, or the sound of a laugh, or the beginning of a song. It felt like the stars aligning and energies flowing. It felt like Saturn returning and never leaving again.

He could not explain what Sakurai was doing standing in the middle of his parent’s house, nor why he stood out from the rest of the guests in the salon, but Aiba had lost all ability to rationalize when Sakurai’s gaze fixed on him. The rest of the salon had emptied and their eyes were still meeting in the middle of the room, making everything else as minuscule as their existence in the universe, and yet it didn’t matter if it meant that they could see each other and think of nothing else. 

Sakurai had begun to shorten their distance, struggling against the multitude that set them apart. Aiba had begun to do the same, wanting to cut the space between them once and for all. But just when he thought they could finally reach each other, Aiba’s father came in their way.

“I was looking for you,” his father said, and Aiba felt as if he’d woken up from a lucid dream. “I wanted to introduce you to someone. Come, it won’t be long.” His father guided him to the opposite end of the room and Aiba barely had a chance to look back at Sakurai before he was pulled into another one of his father’s conversations. Yet, he could see Sakurai at the end of the room, still not having given up on him. 

Aiba waited for just the right moment to point to Sakurai their last resort; the doors to an isolated porch at the side of the house. If Sakurai could only give him a few minutes, he would meet him there. Sakurai finally understood and carefully walked to their meeting place unnoticed, where he would wait for Aiba for as long as he needed to.

  
  


~

  
  


“I know you.”

Matsumoto wouldn’t dare to acknowledge the voice by his side. It was far too recognizable for him to give him a moment of his time.

Ninomiya leaned on the bar counter trying to peek at Matsumoto’s face. “Yeah… you’re that one Astrologist that’s been trying to put me out of business.” He eyed Matsumoto up and down before chuckling ironically. “Didn’t know this was an astrology convention.”

“Like you have ever been to one,” Matsumoto spit back before taking a swig of his cocktail, though he knew he was probably going to need more to survive the night next to that individual.

“Didn’t you sue me one time?” Ninomiya asked, and Matsumoto stared at him as he tried to figure his thoughts out. “No… I might be confusing you with someone else.”

Matsumoto shook his head, unable to believe such a person could ever gain the attention of thousands.

“Although, I think I did hear you may have lost your license.” Ninomiya drank from his own glass.

“Where did you--” Matsumoto stopped himself, angry at the fact that he would let the other get to his nerves. 

Ninomiya shrugged. “Words get around quickly you know,”

Matsumoto was sure the other was certainly thrilled by his misfortune and getting to see him and rub it in his face must have been like the cherry on top of his evening. It was just like him. Getting on with others he felt inferior to him because they weren’t flaunting their success everywhere they went. But Matsumoto wanted to prove to him they were both very different. “I didn’t lose it, it was suspended.”

“Until further notice, huh? Sounds serious. Must have been some shady stuff you were getting involved in.”

“It was nothing.”

“You know… I could get it back for you.”

Matsumoto stared at the other who drank in silence, for a moment doubting that such a suggestion had even come out of his lips. “And why would you do that?”

“I don’t know. You don’t seem like a bad guy in person.” Ninomiya eyed him from head to toe before shooting him a smile. “You know… my production is usually looking for other Astrologists to participate in our panel. And your face is not too bad for TV. You could be a big hit.”

“You’re flirting with me,” Matsumoto stated to which Ninomiya responded with a bashful laugh. Or was it a mocking one? He couldn’t even tell with him.

“I’m whatever you want me to be,” Ninomiya said with a low voice, leaning over the bar counter with a dashing smile. 

Matsumoto had heard of Ninomiya’s flirty nature, but it did surprise him how straightforward he was being with him. He almost sounded drunk. “Then… a job offer?”

Ninomiya sighed, letting his head hang heavily “You’re more boring than you look.” Regardless, something motivated Nino to pull out his card and offer it to Matsumoto “Something to think about.” 

Matsumoto stared at the card and back at him with great hesitation, wondering what sort of deals he was making with the devil if he accepted it. Yet, Ninomiya insisted and motivated him to take the card out of his hand, even if he were to throw it away later, and that’s exactly what Matsumoto was planning on doing. “And by the way, that’s my personal number. I am very exclusive, but I always answer my phone.”

Ninomiya eyed him a last time with a sly look on his eyes before moving away, leaving Matsumoto with a foul taste in his mouth the moment he left. Ninomiya’s card was nothing too luxurious and his personal number was handwritten in the corner of it. So he was flirting after all.

  
  


~

  
  


The open porch looked like a planetarium that night, a full moon glowing surrounded by the light of those stars that could tell stories and predict the future of those smaller souls that gazed at them. Sakurai had begun to understand the splendid light they left behind and for a moment he wished he knew more of how to accept the fate they led before him. But for tonight, it all felt right. 

When he saw Aiba coming out to the porch after he made his escape from his father’s side, Sakurai thought he had not seen a brighter star that night, and he was almost angry with himself that he had not noticed it sooner.

Their encounter drew nervous looks from each of them, but Aiba approached him, shortening the distance between them with confidence that nothing would stand in their way now. Despite feeling their hearts palpitate the longer their eyes fixed on one another, they could feel their energies align and everything else seemed meaningless in the universe.

“So... is this the real ‘you’?" Aiba asked. He couldn’t contain the urge to observe how well Sakurai fit into his black suit.

Sakurai had to look down at himself to be reminded of the attire that made him feel almost suffocated. "More like the ‘me’ I ran away from."

"I think this is the ‘you’ I was supposed to meet."Although he found confusion in Sakurai’s eyes, Aiba left his explanations for a later time. "You look... good. Your professor's clothes make you seem all washed out most of the time."

"That's... rude, coming from my own student," Sakurai said, although he had to admit he never really paid much attention to what he wore, as long as he was respected. Now he had a feeling it wasn’t quite working out. 

"I am only being honest. Everyone else thinks so too." His playful words provoked a smile out of Sakurai that Aiba thought would blind him. This must have been the first time he’d managed to make him laugh. Aiba didn’t think seeing Sakurai’s lips curl up would make him so joyous. Though other concerns arose with Sakurai’s presence at the party and the reason why he found it so hard to believe Sakurai was even there.

"Are you here on business with your father?” Aiba didn’t know if it was too soon to ask. “I overheard my father inviting Kamida to the gathering, but I never imagined you would be here too.”

Sakurai looked down at his hands, perhaps finding it hard to admit so himself. "Me neither.”

“Are you... working for him?” Aiba asked cautiously. He didn’t want to seem like he was trying to get so many answers out of him.

“Only for the time being.” Sakurai seemed well enough to provide him an answer without closing himself up to Aiba.

"What about the university? Isn‘t teaching your passion?”

"I'll go back. But for now, there are things I have to settle with my father first.“

Aiba could tell by Sho’s words that he had matured greatly. It no longer felt like a struggle to get an answer out of him, nor were Aiba’s words provoking any defensive stance that wouldn’t allow Sakurai to admit his own feelings. That intimacy he’d once closed off to everyone seemed like an open door now. 

"Saturn must have returned," Aiba said more to himself than to the one next to him, his eyes set on the night sky.

"I'm sorry?" Sakurai almost didn’t get to hear what Aiba had said and even less understood.

“Have you heard about the Saturn return?”

“I don’t think I have. You are actually the expert here.”

Aiba was flattered, and seeing Sakurai welcoming his explanation, he went on. “We call it the Saturn return when we reach a turning point in our lifetime and we face conflicts that seem to be overwhelming us. When Saturn approaches the position it once stood at the moment we were born, it’s a period of chaos and turmoil. Things just don’t seem to be going right. But once it’s all settled down… it’s like we’re born again.”

As Sakurai listened, he remembered the times he’d thought life had been so unfair: his family tracing a future for him, his marriage with a woman he never loved, his father distancing his mother from him, only to lose his own family name in the end. It was no wonder so many things had happened that threatened to change his life, if his universe was in chaos. His own denying of the ways of Fate must have also had a deep effect on his everyday life. At least now, he could be reassured it was not his fault. It was not the universe conspiring against him, but almost regenerating in a sense, to bring him where he was supposed to be, with the person by his side. Life had never made so much sense.

“I know you’ve been through a difficult time in your life and I can’t even imagine how hard it must have been. I just want you to know that I will wait until you are ready to come back.”

Sakurai caught something in his eyes, it was hard to see for a moment. “Thank you,” he brushed off what had gotten stuck in them, before returning a grateful look to Aiba. “That’s all I ever wanted to hear.”

Seeing the glimmering smile on Aiba’s lips made Sakurai’s curve up too. It felt almost silly to have spent so much time apart to understand one another and realize they were equally confused about the ways of Fate and the concepts of Destiny. Yet, now they could agree that not everything had to be explained to know when something was meant to be. And that even the most impossible of circumstances could feel real if their energies aligned.

Their distance began to shorten, gradually and delicately. Sakurai tried to reach for his hand, and in a moment of doubt Aiba suddenly paused. “You should know,” Sakurai stopped when Aiba spoke. “It’s a full moon. If we touch, it might hurt again.” Aiba explained, yet neither of them made the effort to pull back.

“It already hurts when I’m not with you.” Sakurai’s words felt warm against Aiba’s mouth, and after a moment of hesitation, their energies were restless to finally meet again in between the touch of their lips. 

This time, the electricity that ran through their bodies was most welcomed, as they felt it elevate their senses and lose themselves in each other’s caresses. There was no longer the ache of a long-lasting shock, but a balance of forces, and they felt their souls vibrate and become one. Giving in to their kiss, their beating hearts synchronized. Their hands tugged at each other’s clothes and rested on each other’s cheeks, looking for that sensation that was so hard to pull away from. Their smooth brushes left them more and more breathless with each second. It was a wonder how their affection helped the energies inside them turn into indescribable chaos, but it was a feeling that elevated them into not wanting to let go. Like the attraction of the planets, so exceptional and perfect, there was no one else they would have ever rather be with than their soulmate.

With just their touch, they felt like they could count the stars in the universe and heal the broken paths of Fate that had once been harmed. Above their heads, the celestial objects seemed too small to be able to tell how much love they felt for one another, and reminding each other of how Fate never made mistakes, they both understood their love was worth the wait. 

~

Sakurai no longer minded the long motorcycle rides. It was especially in this time where he could feel connected to the wind, his astral element. It was also in these moments where he got to be with his Destined One, apart from everything else that might stand between them.

Aiba loved to take the scenic route with views of the shoreline, as looking at the sea and the beach wouldn’t fail to fascinate Sakurai. 

On some occasions, they would only take this road at night to have a date on the sand and under the stars, where they felt most connected to one another. They usually tried to keep it casual, but lately, Aiba had made a whole picnic out of their beach dates, bringing all sorts of snacks and wines to last the night together.

“Maybe I should find a new Astrologist,” Aiba was thinking out loud, hoping Sakurai would know how to answer his thoughts.

"I thought you said you wouldn't need one anymore."

"Well… yeah,” Aiba drew lines in the sand. “I guess if I have you, I could just bother you with whatever I’m thinking about.”

“So what’s really on your mind?” Sakurai drank from his wine.

“I think I want to write a book,” Aiba finally said.

“About astrology?”

Aiba noded. “And I sort of want to keep in touch with my astrological readings for it. Not in the searching for my soulmate kind of way, since astrology is much more than that, but more like my predictions.”

“Then… I don’t see why not,” Sakurai’s support was all Aiba wanted to hear. He really felt like he could do so much more with all the things he’d learned from his books, and there was so much left to explore in the universe. 

“Do you have an Astrologist?” Aiba asked, trying not to let his curiosity seem too obvious. He had recalled Sakurai going out to ‘appointments’ lately and he always wondered if it could ever be that. 

“I do,” Sakurai’s answer made it seem a much less big of a deal than it actually was.

“Oh, I see...” Aiba tried to contain his joy in learning about it, but he could not help himself from trying to find out more. “Well, if you're going to have one, I might as well have one too. We can have the same one and it'll be even better for them since we’re already matched.”

"I don't think you'll want mine though." Sakurai held some secrecy to his words, popping cheese cubes in his mouth, hoping that they would obstruct his words.

"Why? Are they not good?"

"He’s... an old friend of mine." He was not sure if he should even say.

"Oh! So it's someone who knows you well! I definitely want to meet them now! What's their name?"

"Ninomiya."

"Ninomiya? That's a rare name... I don't think I've heard of any Astrologist called Ninomiya before. And it sounds a whole lot like Nino, from Nino-san."

Sakurai remained silent, busying himself with the food in his mouth as he watched Aiba’s realization transform his whole face.

"Wait, what? You're not being serious! Nino-san doesn’t count. It’s just a TV show. Your Astrologist is supposed to be personal, someone who knows every extent of you."

"Well... I wouldn't say much about the extent but he has known me since we were kids and he is not the most delicate of people.” Sakurai wet his lips with wine before setting his cup down. “He would tell you straight away if he doesn't like something and he can be very judgemental. He really knows how to pull off that whole TV personality façade. He is very skilled at what he does, though you shouldn’t say that to his face cause you'll never hear the end of it. Actually, it's best not to even show you like anything related to him, it would only inflate his ego. I'm telling you, his whole friendly act from TV is not even half of the type of person he is. He is very self-absorbed and greedy. Incredibly greedy. I guess that's why he joined the celebrity business. But you can never trust what you see on TV. He might be charming and all, but deep down... he is a cheapskate.”

Aiba was staring at his drink, not really sure how to take any of the information Sakurai had laid before him. “ So… you do know him?”

“Yeah, well...” It almost embarrassed Sakurai to admit it, but there was no hiding the truth now.

“Oh please, you have to let me meet him now! I want him to be my Astrologist too! Come on! Please Sho? I’ve always wanted to meet him!”

“Sho?”

“I mean... Sakurai…” Aiba tried to correct himself. His attempt to try to let the use of the other’s first name go unnoticed failed miserably. He could see the embarrassment from Sakurai’s reaction. “Sorry… I just wanted to try it out.” Aiba smiled nervously, hoping he hadn’t done something too rushed. 

“Um… yeah, it’s… okay,” Sakurai said bashfully, diverting his eyes from meeting Aiba’s and letting him see how much it affected him.

“You could try using mine if you like,” Aiba suggested.

“R-Right now?” 

Aiba shrugged. It was not like they were waiting for anything in particular.

Sakurai realized that Aiba was now ready to hear him say his name, giving him his complete and full attention. He hadn’t felt this nervous since the first time he presented himself in a class full of students and he felt silly. It was only his name, but why did it have to feel like he was playing with some intimate part of Aiba?

“Masaki?” he said as if there was a wrong answer in the end, but he did it only to drive the nerves away before they would become worse. It did feel sort of better to say it and put it aside. Now, if he really was going to use it from now on, he couldn’t tell.

Aiba seemed satisfied enough, though not completely blown away. Perhaps he’d expected Sakurai to pronounce it like he meant it and not as if he were being tested.

“Can you say it one more time? I don’t think you’re saying it right.”

Sho felt mortified. Had he even said the right name? He was so used to calling him Aiba he’d actually managed to forget his first name? Or perhaps… this wasn’t the case, and he could see in Aiba’s subtle smile that the other was just teasing with him. It was his name, after all, he just really wanted to see him panic. 

Sakurai sighed, getting a hold of himself and saying it with much confidence this time. “Masak--”

Aiba caught his lips into a stolen kiss, not letting the last syllable escape from Sakurai’s mouth. Aiba trapped him into a hot and endearing sensation as he cupped his cheek to deepen their touches, showing Sakurai how much he loved to see him so flustered. 

When Aiba pulled away, Sakurai was still stunned, a little disappointed that he had not let him see to it in the end. 

“You got it,” Aiba said, and seeing Sakurai’s state, his lips curled in a smile that seemed to outshine all the stars in the sky. 

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading all the way to the end! I had lots of fun creating this little world. Thanks to the Sakuraiba exchange mods for organizing this exchange and everyone who participated! A very special thanks to my Beta♡

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Your comments are very much appreciated.


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